Metroid: In Command
by Blake Wales
Summary: Samus and Houston return after a two-year peace after the destruction of Zebes. More than just space pirates have returned! My LAST Metroid fiction. All chapters up! Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1: Petty Theft

Metroid: In Command By Chris Walden  
  
Okay, so it's been over a year and a half since I got my act together on writing another Metroid fiction. It seems I've written dozens of introductions like this one on incomplete stories, and I still have hopes of completing this ongoing adventure. I'm reading 'The Kihunters' for source of humor and writing style, since I lost a lot of my old style. It seems fans likes Ridley as a bad guy - so, since you're the readers - Ridley will be a bad guy in this fiction unlike the rest of my attempted stories. All I know about Metroid and written here be credited to John Morey (though he did not write this.)  
  
(I have had inspiration and momentum in writing the first few chapters listening to the Final Fantasy Tactics Soundtrack.)  
  
Hey, I remember the day I asked the Fanfiction.com Webmaster to start a Metroid section. Look at it now! So many talented fanfiction writers have propelled the number of stories to over 20! We're well on our way, and everyone should know that I'll be another one of those many writers that will continually back Metroid up. Kudos to Metroid Prime BABY!!!  
  
Introduction  
  
The Galactic Federation library has only until recently been taking into account the recent events concerning the exploits of the bounty hunter Samus Aran and Armstrong Houston. The two and a half years after the destruction of Zebes has been action packed, and stories of Samus' adventures are numerous around the public of the Federation. Ridley has not been seen on the big stage for a long while - while the Federation assures Samus he must surely be dead, the thought still itches at her memory. Armstrong Houston, still is as aware of his relation to Samus as she of his, works with the Federation a little more wary of the regulations and constrictions of policy. Samus has since ignored such restrictions, and no one can complain: Samus has caught dozens of rogue space pirates and evil masterminds unnamed yet to the Federation, so long as the criminal activity keeps to a minimum. Note that space pirates might still have operations yet that Samus has not been leaked information of. The head of the Federation operations is Chairman Keaton, a short alien with pale greenish skin and always wearing a brown hooded robe like some ET friar tuck. (Sound familiar?) Samus never really got along well with the chairman, and avoided getting into the messy politics. Houston fared badly as well. The chairman, as in most cases, is the cause of the majority of the political controversy and distrust of Samus Aran, ending in the obstruction of her work. Of course, this is before she kicks the door down herself and ignores Keaton's attempts to detain her. On the other hand, the Chief Deputy of the Federation (now on a much lower level than Keaton) is a rather large human named Hardy. Hardy is a pleased eater, and sneaks in sandwiches and food into his office whenever his officers aren't looking. As rotund as he is in comparison to the sturdy adventurers, Hardy uses a laser pistol as well as a fork. Several times Hardy has been the Federation's underdog, while not being more than ten feet from his office station, he has done Samus's job at home without her help. Though this is only once or twice, Hardy has saved Keaton's life a few times. Otherwise, everyone knows he eats a lot, but still respect him for the respect he gives in return. Samus and Houston get along well with Hardy.  
  
Ah yes, the final chapter of the prologue - the space pirates. Well, can you guess who might just pop up again in this episode? He has survived Zebes twic- err, once, and a master of Samus reactions and moves. After all, he and Samus have been true rivals since the day she started ruining his life of crime and murder. But, after all, it's all in a day's work. And today is no exception. Care to join me for a small glimpse?  
  
Chapter 1: Petty Theft  
  
It was a simple day (EST) on the Federation space station Alpha Centauri, where the outpost was serving as a traffic and security station to the solar system. Federation troops patrolled lightly around the corridors and civilians both residential and business hurried from platform to platform in their daily bustle. Though in the middle of it all, something didn't seem right to someone in the crowd. In the business district of the station, far from the rough docking bays of the exterior areas, the Galactic Federation Bank was full of traffic, both of people and money. To Brevey Kolt, a security guard well acquainted with the clerks, today seemed off. Maybe it was his coffee.Brevey couldn't figure out what was wrong with the situation in front of him. The lobby was loud of announcements and people shouting to one another, but guards like him had little work to do. Not that there was ever any work to do, but what else does a security guard do without people to arrest? "Brevey? 'You all right or something? You look like a glomian blorff trampled over you all week (and twice on Sunday!)" Brevey blinked hard and turned to see another patrolling security guard smiling oddly at him. "Probably, Rocko. I just don't feel right today - something's off." The larger and shorter security guard Rocko only smiled a toothy grin at Brevey. "Brave, you're just being anxious. We haven't had action in here since last year. And that was the space pirate raid. Why don't you get some coffee?" Come to think of it, Brevey didn't have any coffee, so what was he complaining about before? Brevey shrugged, "Okay, you're probably right, Rocko. I'm going for a coffee - want one too?" Rocko smiled and waved Brevey off as he continued his patrol, shouting back for Brevey to hear. "Sure! Just get me two frappachinos, three bear claws and a -"  
  
The entire bank and surrounding business district exploded in a giant fireball, sending security guards and shrapnel flying through the air. People were screaming, and Brevey watched in frozen horror as the events folded out in front of him. Soldiers armed to the teeth and wearing black heavy space armor poured in through the gaping maw in the wall linking the bank to the docking bay. Alarms were going off and the lights all turned red. Brevey could not draw his gun as he saw Rocko set mowed down by suppressive laser fire from the black-clad soldiers. They were wearing black helmets and visors too, and easily slipped through to the bank vault. They had made it past the front line of defense, but Brevey was the only security guard there. "WARNING! ENEMY FORCES HAVE BREACHED THE PERIMETER! REPEAT -" Before the intercom could shout another warning, it went dead with crackling and the rest of the wall on the same side of the station went up in another explosion. Brevey was just out of the shrapnel's range. Then the reinforcements arrived. Federation trooped armed and armored just as well poured in from the docking bays and formed firefights with the terrorist soldiers. Brevey was frozen to the wall between the two battle lines, and no one bothered to fire at the hapless guard. Breaking the sound of continuous blaster fire, was a primal and deafening roar that Brevey hoped never to hear again. A stream of fire washed over the Federation lines and left the troops rolling and sprawling on the ground on fire. Federation laser batteries were impaled by a huge spear-like appendage. A monstrous and infamous form of a dragon descended into the quieting fray in front of the black-armored terrorists. "I never like loudspeakers anyway. Let's get the stuff and get out of here before she comes!" The dragon roared orders to his armored cronies and they infiltrated the empty bank, clearly looking for something not cash-wise. One of the armored soldiers with a red shoulder guard called out to the dragon. "Here, sir! We have it!" Brevey could not tell what the terrorists had found, but suspected it was important if they had to go through all this just to get that and that only. The dragon laughed with a biting cackle and waved the trooped back to the breach. "Right then! Fall back to the ship! On the DOUBLE!!!" And as the armored troops rushed back through the breach, covering each other on their way out, the dragon cocked an eye at Brevey. Brevey was struck with deathly fear and almost stopped breathing. The dragon grinned an evil grin and winked at Brevey, and followed the last of his troops through the hole in the wall. Moments after he got out of site, a final smoky explosion covered their exit and they were gone. Brevey could only hear the eerie silence of the Federation troops screaming for help or reinforcements, and the fires burning throughout the business platform. Brevey did the only thing he could think of - he turned around and picked up an emergency phone line and screamed into it, "HEEEEEELP!!!!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Authorities and a division of Federation troops arrived within the hour to take care of the wounded troops and investigate the scene. Some detectives were questioning Brevey incredulously while the Federation Officers entered the smoldering platform. Chairman Keaton was right behind Chief Deputy Hardy. Seconds after them were the famous bounty hunters, Samus Aran and Armstrong Houston. Samus was wearing a gray jumpsuit, armed only with a blaster at her side. Houston was wearing his formal Federation uniform, and had a similar firearm. Keaton and Hardy looked as they always did. Keaton was in front and was met by a Federation detective. "Officer! What the hell happened here?" The detective saluted and gave a formal response. "Chairman! Based on our witnesses and troops, a well-organized attack was made on the Galactic Federation Bank." Keaton was already in his wise-up mood. "Tell me something I don't know, officer." Samus and Houston departed from the political jabber to speak to some of the recovering wounded. Hardy remained with Keaton and overheard only a little of the report. "The troops were reported to be highly equipped, armed with what seem to be medium repeating laser rifles, and armored with suits unknown to our technology division. No enemies are reported to have had casualties." Keaton was growing more and more furious and Samus decided to be a bit more personal and polite to the investigators further away from Keaton. A Federation doctor was attending one of the less seriously wounded soldiers. Samus let the soldier get his bearings before speaking to him. "You saw what happened right?" Samus was serious but quiet and that earned her a response. "Yes, madam. What do you want? I already told Keaton-" Samus waved him off. "How'd you guys get these burns?" Samus thought she knew the answer already but almost didn't want to hear it. "A giant red dragon attacked us from above, spewing flames all over us." Great, it was as Samus dreaded. Ridley was back.  
  
Chapter 2: Wrath of Chairmen and Dragons  
  
Far from the Federation outpost swarming with authorities, a heavy space cruiser barreled its way further and further into the outer rim of Federation space (which wasn't very far.) Ridley was as pleased as punch with the maneuver he pulled off. Not only did he recruit the finest band of space pirates since the days of Mother Brain, but he also stole the Galactic Federation's weapons development plans intended on being shipped to Earth. Too bad he got there first. To top it all off, he didn't have to deal with that meddlesome bounty huntress, Samus Aran. Life couldn't get any better. Now to find out what these weapons development plans are. Ridley leapt off of his command chair and almost flattened one of the nearby armored guards. "Commander! Have we figured out what the Feds were working on?" The armored soldier only nodded, his black visor hiding his expression. "Affirmative sir, our engineers have decoded the files and are awaiting your personal inspection." Ridley noted the word awaiting. Ridley grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him off the ground a few feet. "Waiting?! How long has it been since they were ready? Why didn't you tell me?!" The guard struggled under the pressure, but let out an unusually clear response, though concern for his own well-being. "Sir.it has been fifteen minutes since, and if you hadn't jumped on me on my way to tell you that, you might have been in a better mood." Ridley scowled at the insubordination, but dropped the guard to the ground. The man quickly got back to his feet, still not taking off the visor. (And no, he's not a main character.) Ridley cackled at the guard's loyalty. "So be it then! Tell those nerds I'll be down to see their progress in two minutes!" The guard nodded and sprinted to the comm. Station, where Ridley would see that he was doubling his efforts to please Ridley as quickly as possible. Too bad he can't be promoted any higher. Thought Ridley, and he stepped into the enlarged turbolift and made ready his early arrival. After all, he needed to make sure his engineers weren't as lazy as his first officer. A little surprise inspection wouldn't hurt. All (thank god), without the surprise parties with Samus Aran. Too bad she couldn't find him. He'd be found when he was ready to be found. (As Always.)  
  
* * * * *  
  
"You think what?!" Keaton was irritated beyond belief (though he was rather edgy) and Samus knew that this was the best she'd get out of Keaton in the mood he was in. "Chairman, I believe strongly that Ridley is alive and well, and was behind this attack on the Federation." Keaton didn't change his expression. "What happened back on Zebes, then? You stated in your report that you killed him yourself!" Samus made her alter ego roll her eyes where Keaton was watching, and sighed. "He has the cunning ability to regenerate when near-death and escaping.well, escaping self-destructing terrains. He's an expert of survival and manipulation. I request to have my ship back to hunt him down." Keaton didn't even consider. "Nonsense! This cannot be the doing of that long gone space pirate. Whoever it is, the Galactic Federation Navy and Inspection Agency will track him down and bring him to justice. We already have a lead." This time, it was Samus's turn to be incredulous. "Who could you possibly claim to have a match with a giant dragon and flame throwing effects?" Keaton looked at Samus like she was a civilian (without an assignment, officially she was.) "The information you extracted from the soldiers is not credible. As for our lead, is a rogue robotics corps just out of the reach of the nightmarish paperwork we put to snare stray companies." Samus knew what was coming. "AlphaTech? They have nothing to do with this! They're not even equipped to assault and urban militia!" Keaton wasn't enjoying Samus's presence, and decided to squash it some more. "Silence! Another outburst like that out of you will send you to police work on Saturn! The troops invading the bank earlier today were equipped with a suspected robotic technology. One Federation officer reported to have seen one take a direct laser cannon hit and keep firing like nothing had happened. AlphaTech's prototype AIs have superior armor to that of any personal firepower." Samus couldn't believe Keaton wasn't taking in all the facts. "What is it with you, Keaton? You can trust the officers and political adversaries, but when it comes to the individual fighting soldier, you lose faith in them completely! I'd like to see you show half the bravery they show every day!" Keaton was ready to explode. "That's enough! Samus Aran - you are dismissed from your post! I won't have any more of your insubordination!" Samus shot up from her seat in front of Keaton's desk. Keaton flinched back as if afraid of Samus slugging him. "All words, Tonberry boy! You can have Ridley to yourself, without my or Houston's help!" Before Keaton could call security, Samus already stormed out of his office and slammed the door behind her, shattering the glass. Samus was already fuming from her debate with Keaton, and thought angrily to herself. Forget this, since when did a bounty hunter take orders from the law? I should let Houston know our new orders.to find and destroy Ridley once and for all! 


	2. Chapter 3: Oooh! Navy Seals!

Chapter 3: Oooooh! ~Navy Seals!~  
  
"So what do we got? Are the stolen plans as good as I hoped?" Ridley stormed in the engineering bay unannounced, and fortunately for the engineers, they weren't dawdling. One of the scientists turned to Ridley from his study desk, a computer chip being examined on it. "Sir! The technology appears to be of a electro-magnetic field generator in the works!" Ridley wasn't the English type. "Eltro-whatsis? I don't speak nerd!" The scientist didn't even hesitate (as he knew what would happen if he did.) "It uses and is powered by electricity, to keep energy held in a particular place." Ridley thought about this, trying to put two and two together. "What use is it to us? We already have contained energy in our engines and reactors!" The scientist sighed and tried again. "In layman's .err .your terms, you could contain a nuclear blast in a small area and release it in a given direction - as a weapon." Ridley like the word nuclear. ("It's pronounced: NEW-CLEER." -Homer Simpson) "Okay. I want it up and running in twenty-four hours." The scientist gasped and frowned at himself and Ridley. "Sir! Technology of that magnitude will take days, even weeks to put to use!" Ridley almost grabbed for the scientist's throat, but the man backed away. "Don't give me that BS! You say it's all there on your desk! Now get to it or you wont have more than twenty-four hours to live!" And with that, Ridley stealthed out of the room and left the scientists to their vain experiment.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Meanwhile, back at Federation-occupied Earth, Samus and Houston were suited up to check out the orbital AlphaTech station to investigate the Federation's claims. Maybe they know where the pirates went. In the Houston, Texas starport, Houston himself was getting as much fresh home air as he could before going back to space. Samus couldn't understand it. "Houston, I know that this place is your home, let alone your surname, but I don't get what it is with you and Earth. You're always treating it like your kitchen back home. Nirvana.what's with you?" Houston was listening and was smelling the de-polluted air of Earth. "Smell that, Samus?" Samus actually bothered to sniff the air. "I don't smell anything, Houston. C'mon, let's -" Houston went on, "That's just it! There isn't any pollution or smog in the air anymore! It's like what Earth used to be before the steel age." Samus shook he head. "Houston." Houston shook out of it. He looked to Samus and accompanied her to her ship. (The Federation gave her a ship and him a vacation. :P ) "Sorry. It didn't used to be this clean. Ever since AlphaTech was founded, the atmospheric pollution was filtered and the ozone layer was few more natural shielding gases. The Federation - or at least Keaton - is taking a big gamble betting their verdict on the robots of AlphaTech." Samus climbed in first. "You know what I think, Houston?" "What's that?" "I think you're more interested in a tour of AlphaTech Facilities than an investigation." Houston grinned like a sly starfighter pilot. "Why not? Less shoot, more sleep!" Samus banged her helmet on her dashboard in frustration. "Great. We'll never find Ridley at this rate." Houston just kept laughing. "C'mon Samus! Can't we skip this one just once?" Samus clearly remembered the day when she asked Houston the same question years ago. How things have changed.  
  
Chapter 4: AlphaTech Boogaloo  
  
Keaton brought his six divisions of Federation troops to the orbital platform that AlphaTech used for it construction and robotic works. Had not he brought all the troops in the sector he might have insisted it was a few short of enough. Keaton expected little resistance from the robotic warriors that kept the peaceful company safe. Instead, Keaton faced an equal number of space pirates that were armed as heavily as the last supposed attack on the Federation. Things had heated up on the battlefield, and Keaton couldn't see the bigger picture. And the big picture, the whole space station was a big as New York City.  
  
Under heavy blaster fire, Keaton's forces forged a makeshift battle line and headquarters around the orbital platform. Since the pirates walled the facility in like a fortress, aerial bombardment was almost useless to the robotic armoring. In the midst of it, Keaton was devising a plan. "General Rainey! Have your men found anything different in fighting these pirates from the typical raiders we're used to?" A sturdy and battle- hardened officer leaned on the map table Keaton was using in the HQ tent. Soldiers called it the 'shack'. "For one, the pirates don't give up their positions. Though we haven't send an expeditionary force, the pirates have made it clear they will stay and fight us. Which leads to another point-" The general paused as a shocking explosion rattled the tent. Keaton weathered it, but the general sighed as if that's what he was talking about. "The pirates have weapons superior to ours. While our blasters are artillery and military issue, these bastards have access to illegal and prototype disruptors. Their aim is pretty damn good, too. We've had 1,000 casualties in 45 minutes." Keaton didn't like the news and pounded his fist on the map table. "Damn! Have we had any word from AlphaTech?" Keaton had easily kept an eye out for inside help, but it didn't come. "No, sir. AlphaTech's last distress signal was intercepted five minutes before we arrived. It hints that the pirates are fighting the robots there too, but I doubt there's much resistance left by now." Keaton wasn't a good tactician, but decided to stop waiting and make one of the first gambles of his career. "General! Order your artillery units and aerial ships to concentrate fire on the front battle line. Spread fire. I want those pirates to be soaking wet in blasters." The general looked up. "Sir?" Keaton thought he had something. "Continue the blaster fire and then, when pirates' return fire is a minimum, order our troops to advance to close range and set up barricade and sniper positions." The general didn't seem impressed and exacted another excuse. "Sir, the pirates won't be distracted by the fireworks display for long. They'll find out it's only blaster fire and-" Keaton was tire of it all. "NO! That's why we'll concentrate all power, even half of our life-support systems to blaster and artillery fire. In a constant salvo, our 'fireworks display' will shine so greatly that Earth can see it from the surface. Do as I say, and do it in unison. We have only one shot at this."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ridley was furious. The raid on the AlphaTech platform had drawn out into a siege and the robots weren't giving in to his demands. The Federation was on his case, but didn't know it was him. At least Samus isn't around to screw things up even more. Ridley had taken control of the main lobby, the foyers from the first through fifth floors, and the control room. The robots and their philanthropic engineers were sitting tight in the engineering and power bays, and controlled the action from the robotics bays. Ridley was trapped between a rock and a hard place. What poor Ridley didn't know was that the Federation would, for a change, make a bold and daring move on him. But he too, had the element of surprise. After all, Mother Brain didn't give him his rank for his sheer and raw power. Dragons aren't stupid, as he'd soon show Keaton.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Samus! Why are we going to AlphaTech now? I thought we were looking for Ridley!" Houston was strapped in tight to the passenger chair as Samus punched the throttle up on her ship. "Ridley stole weapons plans made by AlphaTech, but he can't use it. He's there to control AlphaTech." Houston only squeaked a bit. "Are you sure this speed is safe?" Samus grinned at him. "Of course! The Federation is engaged in an all-out battle with Ridley and his pirates. They need our intervention." Houston sighed nervously. "Great, I thought you'd say divine intervention." Samus laughed lightly and punched the throttle even more.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Keaton was approximately twenty feet away from the front entrance of the AlphaTech building. His display of power stunned the pirates long enough to establish a line too close for their comfort. Though the Federation had gained ground, the pirates were still fiercely holding the main gate. Neither side moved an inch. "Chairman Keaton! We have received a transmission from inside AlphaTech!" Keaton rubbed his forehead and looked up quickly. "Put it through to the main screen!" And so, in the small tent of an HQ, its hologram screen lit up and a short scientist with scraggly glasses appeared on it. "Chairman Keaton! I'd give you a better welcome if we weren't stuck in this mess." The scientist's voice was high-pitched and bothered Keaton a little. "Excuse me! I would have arrested you for robbery if we weren't stuck in this mess as well!" The scientist wasn't even offended. "We'll discuss that later. I am President Deltha of AlphaTech, and our robots are proving an equal match for these pirates. Do you know who is behind all of this?" Keaton didn't understand why Deltha wasn't acting sly or something like that. "I presumed you were! I still don't know if I can believe you whether you're with or against the pirates. If you came for a negotiation, I-" Deltha was getting impatient. "Keaton! I will share my strategy with you whether you share yours with me or not! I want to get rid of these pirates as much as you do!" Keaton didn't get it, and the thought never occurred to him that AlphaTech could be innocent. "Deltha! Speak or your chances with us will be even less!" Deltha wasted no time beginning. "The pirates are holding the lobby and main level foyers. We have the machine and power shops, though the pirates control the terminals from the control room. We can't get out except by the high level foyers. We need to take the control room and give us a way out." Keaton didn't quite know if this was true or not, or whether he could do anything about it to help them. "Hold on, Deltha. I'll call you back in a few minutes once my staff and I have decided what to do." Keaton wiped his forehead and switched lines, hoping someone else would know what to do.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ridley was attempting to execute a counterattack of his own, but one thing didn't go quite right. One of his border guards wasn't reporting in. "Damnit you worthless human! Captain Sagant! Where the hell are you?" Ridley was about to crush the remains of his communications box when one of his officers nearby inquired. "Ridley, sir! We have lost all contact with the second starship bay!" Ridley turned round on the armored soldier in a flash and was about to tear the man's visored head off. "TELL ME SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW, COMMANDER!" The officer got the idea and went back to the noisy battle lines near the Federation troops to rally his men. "Damnit, Sagant! This is your last chance to answer me! What the hell is your situation?!" This time he got a response from the officer he was looking for. "Sir.! Wait.! We are under attack from an unknown -" and then came a loud thump in the intercom. "SAGANT?! DAMNIT, WHAT -" then a voice broke Ridley's concentration from the box. It was a sarcastic female voice. "And now back to our regularly scheduled program!" Ridley went into a fiery fit. "NO!!! IT CAN'T BE!" "Chill, Ry, you'll get to see me soon enough." "DAMN YOU SAMUS! YOU'LL WISH YOU'VE NEVER BEEN BORN!" Ridley was getting strange and frightful looks from the soldiers without helmets, and he wanted the conversation to end. One of them piped up. "Ridley, sir! All of our channels with -" Ridley didn't want to hear it. "SILENCE!" Ridley was wide-eyed and clearly losing it. "Ry, you heard the man, check your comm. channels; nobody's there!" Ridley spat at Samus as he switched through the other comm. channels. The result wasn't pretty. "SAMUS!! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" "Just calm down, Ry. I'm in no rush. By the way, you getting good life insurance lately?" Ridley couldn't stand Samus's sly jokes. "What are you talking about?!" "You never know when some nut could send an armed power bomb cluster into the lobby elevator. You can't be too safe these days." Ridley crushed the communications box into powder in his hands and an armored soldier came running out of a nearby room to Ridley. 'Does she think that she can ambush me with a simple threat?' Thought Ridley, but addressed the soldier harshly. "What is it now?!" The armored solider cowered a little and pointed to the lobby elevator, the lights of which were lit up. "S.Sir! There's an unusual radiation source coming from the elevator shaft! It's moving from one of the floors below!" As the sentence was finished, the bell for the elevator rang and Ridley slowly turned his sleek head to see the elevator. "No." The doors opened, and the lobby was filled with a gigantic fireball, shaking the whole facility.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Keaton's field office shook violently as fire spewed out of the front gate of the AlphaTech facility. Pirates set on fire that survived the initial blast ran out of the gate screaming, but were mowed down by the Federation snipers. Fire raged on outside the gate, flaming debris everywhere. Keaton punched up the link with Deltha as soon as he got his footing again. "Deltha! What the hell was that?!" Deltha's image appeared a little staticky and was as anxious as Keaton. "Chairman! An explosion exceeding our current mutinitions capacity erupted from the lobby. I suspected it was one of yours!" Keaton was more curious than furious. "Not us either! Who could." "Keaton! You better be the least bit thankful for this!" "SAMUS?! What are you doing here?" Keaton was finally furious. "That's what I'd like to know!" Ridley's voice came on too. "What the hell.? Ridley? Samus is this -" Keaton didn't get it. "Yes, Keaton. He's behind all this and -" Samus was interrupted. "I would have succeeded you dolts! At least I have the plans!"  
  
Keaton was totally in the dark. Ridley continued, and Deltha was deathly silent, either terrified or intent on listening to what his captor has to say. "You fools! Even Samus surprised me, but now I have the most valuable prize this station has to offer: it's men and machines!" Deltha screamed and his communications hologram faded. "DELTHA!" Keaton lost his innocent contact. "Ridley, you dirty -" Samus was ready to litter Ridley's ears with obscenities, but the painful screams of Deltha came in on Ridley's comm. unit. "Enough, Samus! Even you can't help him now!" Keaton silently gave the order to invade the burning wreckage of the facility, ordering them to gun down Ridley and avoid civilian casualties. "RIDLEY!! YOU WANT ME, NOT HIM!" Ridley's voice was filled with bemusement, and Deltha's screams of pain subsided. "That's right, Samus. But you're not going to get him back on your terms; nor on my terms, either. Now we're even. Toodaloo!" Ridley went off the air and another explosion came from the lobby and station roof plating as Ridley escaped with a scientist in an EVA suit in tow. The red dragon sped faster than the GF's rogue scout ships, and was off the radar before the GF troops could take a look through the gaping hole in the lobby's roof. Ridley was gone, and with another military prize for his own use. Just like old times, Samus. 


	3. Chapter 5: Presidential Pardon

Chapter 5: Presidential Pardon  
  
(Since recent posts of these chapters by Microsoft word have combined my once indented sentences into massive paragraphs, I will press enter twice to start a new paragraph when one is meant. Sorry for the past inconvenience.)  
  
Samus and Houston were given back their titles, and the Galactic Federation held an emergency board meeting on the Alpha Centauri space station. Keaton didn't expect the rapid change of plans, but he made excuses to justify his motives. (Keaton suspected the kidnapping of Deltha was a ploy for him to escape with Ridley, if he was working with Ridley, that is.)  
  
Other than Chairman Keaton, President Richard Daringer of Earth also attended. Follow him were his bodyguards, his staff, and the World's Congress that supposedly agreed to never meet after the international peace. Perhaps it was time the world was in the loop again. GF Chief Officer Hardy accompanied Samus and Houston to their own seats at the GF Conference Table. They were the last ones there, although the bodyguards did not bother to pat down the two hunters for weapons.  
  
President Daringer spoke first, quite concerned about the recent events unfolded. "Chairman Keaton, we have heard from the Military that you recently assailed a pirate raid on AlphaTech facilities. Care to give us the important details?" The intent on 'important' suggested he didn't want any BS or flattery from Keaton. Hardy snickered.  
  
Keaton cleared his throat and stood up from his seat to speak to the President as well as the whole congregation. "I will, Mr. President, thank you. Before I begin, can I get you -" The President snorted and Keaton gulped and continued. "Right. Upon taking reports of the attack on the Galactic Federation Bank three days ago, I scraped together an investigation and assault force to...see if AlphaTech knew anything of it."  
  
Samus snickered and Keaton glanced nervously at Samus and Houston for a brief moment, not wishing for them to give him away. "Upon arriving at AlphaTech Facilities, we became under attack from unknown enemies, and it turned out to be the pirates. A distress signal was received from inside the station, apparently from the desperately trapped robotics technicians." Keaton paused for a moment, to let the situation get its roots.  
  
One of the President's staff, the Secretary of War, spoke up. "What was the distress message, Keaton? The robots in that platform are far superior to that of our war droids. How could they be in need of help?"  
  
Keaton nervously played back the transmission from a computer terminal on his desk. It was full of static, and the voice behind it all was monotonous and robotic drone. But Samus thought she heard something of an emotion of panic in its voice.  
  
"Distress Signal Priority 1 - Repeat - Distress Signal Priority 1! AlphaTech Facilities under attack by space pirates - Repeat - AlphaTech under attack by space pirates! Request any or all assistance against this foe! They have a dragon-"  
  
The transmission ended in the short, and it was obvious to all but Keaton what that really meant. The President spoke boldly, "Keaton! Your Field General was reported to have heard you accuse President Deltha of AlphaTech facilities of robbery! Do you know what that transmission tells us?"  
  
Keaton didn't get it a day ago, and didn't get it now (set in his ways and beliefs about Deltha's intentions.) Samus and Houston looked at each other, smirking. Hardy, too, was excited to hear Keaton get scolded. Keaton in the meantime, remained silent and stubborn, keeping his expression to a defiant glare. "It means that Deltha was not following procedure and -"  
  
The President shot up from his seat and shot a baleful stare at Keaton, all but Samus and Houston cowering back from his piercing glare. Keaton was struck with fear and instead braced himself for it. "KEATON! You have ignored blind evidence of the true enemy behind this conspiracy and accused Deltha - of all people - who won three Nobel Peace Prizes in his lifetime - of the crime that Ridley clearly is guilty of committing!!!"  
  
Some thought the President was done, but he went on, his face and the room with it seeming to darken like an enraged wizard and the air around him. "I thought I could trust you after giving you the duty of doing the investigation before sending in our most reliable sources! Instead you accuse one of my personal friends and dismiss Samus Aran and Armstrong Houston from their posts?! What were you thinking?"  
  
The President had a horrible day dealing with the press and supposed accusations and rumors around Friend Deltha, and Keaton was just the man to dump it all on. "I am not a simple politician that can blindly trust what his advisors think they can get away with!!! KEATON -"  
  
And then the President stopped. He got a hold of himself at a timely moment that made Samus wonder whether he had incorporated his fiery words into his address to Keaton. The President spoke kindly and calmly as a parent would speak to his young child. "I want this taken care of. From now on, Samus and Houston will take over the investigation. You, Keaton, will not interfere with their work, for they too, have thus proven reliable."  
  
Samus and Houston stifled fits of laughter, but Hardy hid their humor with holding them tied to their seats. The President finished. "For now, the presses will be told of the abduction of Friend Deltha, and will NOT be told of the missing technology. I will manage Earth's missing politics in place of Deltha in the meantime.  
  
"Samus, Houston: You two will be given full access to everything the Galatic Federation has to offer. You have my pardon and permission to do what it takes to get Deltha and his life's work back in one piece. Do not leak any of what we have discussed here, or else there'll be hell for me to pay, and it will end your investigation. Bounty and bonus included as well as salvaging rights to whatever you find in pursuit of Ridley.  
  
"Everyone! You know what to do now. Keaton: you will see me after the meeting in person. Okay, everyone, that's it. Let's go!" And so the President exited with his bodyguards escorting Keaton out, and the World's Congress slowly exited the room as they discussed with each other the situation in their own light. Samus and Houston almost jumped for joy with a bright 'YES!' and decided to take Hardy out to lunch.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hardy had his life's dream of eating the full 10-foot-sub sandwich at subway. The Alpha Centauri space station was not completely without everyday necessities. Samus and Houston had a BLT in their personal request. It was busy at lunch EST (Earth Standard Time) and many people and races from all over the galaxy gravitated to Earth's favorite sandwich.  
  
In the middle of Houston's second ogre of a bite into his BLT, he was distracted upon hearing a squeaky and high-pitched voice at the front desk. "NO! NO! NO! Me wants a squishy-bug sub! Not this yucky human meat!" Houston almost tossed his cookies upon listening more and turned around to see a small green creature with pointy ears and fingers jumping up and down in front of a befuddled subway chef.  
  
"I'm sorry, mister, but we don't have bug-subs.or whatever here. Officer! Could you help this goblin?" A patrolling GF policeman stopped by and leaned down to the goblin throwing a temper tantrum. "Can I help you, green sir?" The goblin snorted in an 'It's about time' manner.  
  
"YEAH! Squee wants a big-squishy-bug sub sandwich!" And the goblin continued to jump up and down on the floor. Houston almost laughed and almost choked on his BLT. The Squee stopped and looked at Houston in a confused and 'Ooops' way. He spoke again with that squeaky voice.  
  
"Oooops! Squee in wrong book! Adios yucky human fellas!" And with that, Squee the goblin ran out of the restaurant and was never seen again.  
  
* * * * *  
  
(Once more, I must apologize. If this is the next chapter to be posted on Fanfiction.net, it will be alone. I am so excited to continue the story that I must just as quickly post the chapters. I'm alive and well from my writer's block! I can write again! More to come ladies and gentlemen!) 


	4. Chapter 6: Between Chapters

Chapter 6: Between Chapters  
  
After encountering several shady figures from increasingly wrong books, Samus and Houston finally arrived at her ship docked at the Alpha Centauri space station. Houston thought the unusual arrival of these characters was funny.  
  
"Really, you gotta meet this Arthas guy! He almost offered to help us find Ridley!" Samus, in the meantime, didn't understand the punch line. "Houston, there could be hundreds of people that would pay a penny just to see us, let alone help us in action. There are many fans on Earth or whatever that would love to help - and won't be much of any either."  
  
Houston didn't give up. "But the Arthas guy had a really huge sword and had a big green muscle-bag of a giant accompanying him. They could have really been of help!" Samus was getting irritated, and quickened her pace across the docking bay to her ship.  
  
"Look, partner. We're the best lone gunmen the galaxy has to offer, and we don't need to bring along a full-fledged party. I don't care if he's King Arthur or The Chosen One - they aren't coming along on my watch!"  
  
Houston took it personally, his suggestions shot to hell. "What about a planeswalker?" Samus turned around with a face of disgust and confusion on her face. "What, Houston?!" Houston's voice continued to shrink. "Or maybe just a skywalker?" Samus picked up a stray mechanic's wrench nearby and chucked it at Houston, narrowly missing him.  
  
"NO! Enough is enough! Let's get moving, Mr. Eastwood!" And Samus made best efforts of kicking Houston into her ship and blasting off with the feeling of adventure once more brought back into her, after so many years.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Deltha's head hurt, and he hadn't opened his eyes yet. 'What has that dragon done with me now? Wonder if I look as bad as I feel.'  
  
Deltha woke up and opened his eyes to see himself in chained to the wall of a very dirty and slimy prison cell. Deltha assumed it was abandoned and not in official use anymore. Typical of Ridley. 'What does Ridley think he can get out of me. I may be the best mind of the century, but he can't - let alone WON'T kill me.'  
  
Deltha then looked around, and saw (and heard) that the cell had no other company and that a poorly lit hallway was beyond the cell door - but no sounds of any kind could be heard. Even the shadows in the cell did not move. Deltha instead looked at his chains.  
  
They were primitive and rusty, possibly even fragile. Ridley didn't think Deltha was worth the effort of finding a new pair of chain links. Deltha blinked unusually and a click came from the collar in his lab coat. A small, thin mechanical arm came out and followed the direct line of sight of Deltha's eyes.  
  
Deltha shot a glare at one of his chain cuffs and the arm flashed to it, and welded a small laser to cut his left arm free. Deltha quickly did the same with the right hand, and he was free in an instant. Deltha blinked again, and the arm disappeared into his coat collar. Deltha walked up to the door and pulled on the handle hard.  
  
The door easily came open, catching Deltha off guard and he almost lost his balance. He caught himself on the door handle and made sure he didn't make any noise. Deltha was deathly still and silent for a full minute when he was sure no-one was coming for him.  
  
Deltha peeked his head around the door, to the left in the hallway. It was much more poorly lit than he had thought and could only see a few feet into the darkness. Deltha blinked in a funny way again, and a pair of night vision spectacles popped out of his collar again and covered his left eye.  
  
The hallway was poorly decorated, like his cell and Deltha looked to the right, since the left indeed went on forever. There was a turn further down the hall, and not a thing moved.  
  
Then, a gigantic crash came from behind him in his cell, sounding like a kitchen collection of pots, pans and refrigerators fell from its ceiling. The noise was deafening and abruptly stopped. Deltha winced in having giving a clear sound of something wrong away to the dragon, wherever he was.  
  
Deltha turned to see what kind of mess lay behind him, and found himself staring a pair of glowing yellow eyes in the darkness, and his left eye (still with the night vision) was blinded. Daring not to blink, and knowing his peril in that instant, Deltha didn't move. Instead a roar twice as deafening at the crash before it blasted Deltha before both of his eyes blurred red and then fading to black.  
  
* * * * *  
  
(I am playing Final Fantasy Tactics during this time that I have between plotlines. Who here has played it? Well, I faced Serpentarius my first time and he wiped the floor with me. ZODIAC does straight 999 DAMAGE!!! AAAHHH!)  
  
(Does anyone know how long they'd like my chapters to be? I get the feeling a lot that I don't want to make my chapters too big. Any suggestions? Gracias. I think I needed a space between the important chapters to lighten the mood. BTW, anyone play Warcraft III? ^ ^ ^)  
  
* * * * * 


	5. Chapter 7: Postmission

~Intermission Music~  
  
During this brief intermission, we would recommend that if you want to buy soda and concessions, now is the right time. Of course, if this adventure is being experienced at home, we would strong suggest to you not to spend unnecessary money on concessions already in your kitchen. Please take this time now to refill your snacks if you so choose. Thank You.  
  
And now, we return to 'Metroid: In Command'.  
  
* * * * *  
  
~Super Metroid Theme~  
  
Last time, on 'Metroid: In Command' :  
  
Samus Aran and Armstrong Houston are given full permission to the Federation routes and armories. Houston instead runs into several crossovers in the Alpha Centauri space station. Once prompted by Samus, Houston accompanies her to find Ridley's hidden hideout.  
  
Meanwhile, President Deltha finds himself imprisoned by Ridley and makes a clever attempt to escape - only to himself in much deeper trouble than he originally thought. What will become of earth's most talented mind?  
  
"And now . . . . . . Back to the show!"  
  
Chapter 7: Postmission  
  
Samus's newly souped-up ship speeded past the outer rim territories, while which Houston pleaded with Samus to take a final stop on the last Subway they'd see for six million light years. Samus, invested with a new adventurous and blazing passion, quickly shut him up and started scanning the system for the nearest M-Class planet.  
  
"Samus, what are you doing? You're overlooking all the civilized planets! Aren't we going for lunch?" Houston couldn't resist the comment. "Houston, we just had lunch - please help me do our duty. We're looking for Ridley and Deltha." Samus didn't waste any time chatting with Houston, and it was soon clear who was in charge of the mission this time around.  
  
"Okay.fine. But are you sure Ridley would choose -" Houston stopped dead in his sentence. Samus's viewscreen was centered on a deserted and stormy M-Class planet: Tsebnash. "It's Ridley's style, Houston. But maybe you're right. No masterminded tunnel system there."  
  
And that was that; Tsebnash wasn't a possibility and the two continued scanning the planets in the parsec. All the while, their ship cruised along at auto-pilot, the only moving thing in the system. Or so they thought.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The other ship in the parsec was hidden in a nearby asteroid belt that Samus had neglected to take notice of. And unusual for her to do so, at that - for this vessel was five times as large as her own. Manned for a crew of fifty, the ship's captain was very aware of Samus's presence - and made a quick call to another stormy M-Class planet close to Tsebnash.  
  
The call was a short one, and ended abruptly and shortly. The captain, like his crew, was clad in black space armor and gave a silent order to his crew. The ship hummed for a few moments and then a bright flash erupted from its pointed nose.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"ALERT! FOREIGN ENERGY BLAST APPROACHING! ALERT FOREIGN ENERGY BLAST APPROACHING!"  
  
The red alert siren blasted Samus and Houston like a slap in the face. They were being attacked. Samus and Houston strapped into their chairs, of which Houston's moved from the front panel to the center of the cramped ship. "Houston, you have the tracking controls! I'll get us our unknown!"  
  
Houston nodded quickly, the adrenaline putting him in his military- man mood. Samus almost did the same, until the siren started blaring again. Before Samus could turn it off, a shockwave rattled her ship violently.  
  
Houston paused a moment at his controls, "We're hit, aft side, minor damage - but our aft weapons systems are shutting down one by one." Samus turned around for a brief glare at Houston, while she was piloting to make herself a tough target. "WHAT?! How can that be possible?" Houston shrugged in his chair but didn't respond.  
  
Samus did quick thinking and targeted all her scanner sweeps on a conspicuous-looking asteroid belt she saw earlier. "Houston, send a spread shot of power bombs into that asteroid field! If they're in there, I want it to be snowing asteroid on their last holiday!" Houston only nodded and responded with a monotone, "I copy, boss."  
  
The volley of glowing projectiles that came from the zig-zagging shuttle shone like a beacon in the depth of space. The enemy craft wasn't visible yet, but it was positive that they'd feel the power bombs coming their way. In a small pause of small seconds, the shockwave of the bombs shattering asteroids reached Samus's ship.  
  
The ship was rattled much more than before, but Samus yelled out her order, "Damage repor-" Houston was already there. "Minor damage to hull integrity and shields. Shields at 90%. It doesn't look very fun in there, boss." Samus grinned as she gazed into the swarm of asteroids and smaller meteoroids, thinking to herself. 'That's the idea, Houston. Our special guest has two choices: to stay and get crushed, or -'  
  
-  
  
"Ensign! Get us the hell out of here! And give a report, someone!" The captain of the alien ship was both furious and panicking, desperate to get his warship out of the hailstorm of space rocks. Another armored officer responded in a nerve-racked voice.  
  
"Sir! Our shields are a 2% and we are losing our engines fast! We can't get out of here at this rate!" Upon hearing this, the captain leaped over the deck rails and was about to throttle that officer, but a final panicked yell overtook the navigations officer.  
  
"SIR! We have lost our engines and shields! We are vulnerable!" The captain turned one last time to the source of the voice. A final voice broke through the chaos on the bridge. "INCOMING ENEMY MISSILE!!!"  
  
-  
  
"Nice aim, Houston! That should finish them off!" Houston said nothing as he watched his well-placed super missile spiral off towards the now exposed pirate warship. The missile hit and tore through the ship, destroying much of it with the initial impact, and then it hit the power core. The ship was incinerated in an instant and only super-hot and melted debris was left to float in the asteroid field.  
  
"Hey, boss - I'm picking up a trail of a communications link from that ship to the same planet." Samus punched up the comm. screen herself and studied the origins and destination of the images. "Forge - the only planet in the parsec with a previous history of civilization. Ridley always did like archaic defensive installations. Okay - let's get moving then!"  
  
Without a further complaint, both bounty hunters' hearts raced as they sped on Samus's ship towards Forge, unknown to them that someone was waiting for them below. Rather, more than just a single someone waited below, all inhabitants on the planet aware of the very familiar and despising noise of Samus's shuttle entering through the stormy atmosphere. The surface tunnels and sensory clicked awake as their awaited enemy arrived. Except for that which Samus did not know, the planet was forever dormant.  
  
Samus scanned the planet's atmosphere content. "Houston - looks like it slightly acidic. Better suit up before going out." Houston's battle suit was very similar to Samus's because it, too, came from a select few talented Chozo armorsmiths, except blue and black in colors. Samus suited up into her pink-red gravity suit in a separate room - so to keep Houston from peeping on her.  
  
Samus emerged from her personal quarters with her ice and wave beams charged up, and her energy, missile and bomb tanks ready for action. Likewise, Houston had all the familiar equipment, minus the hyper beam, the wave beam, and the screw attack. Those technologies the Galactic Federation had been unable to replicate - for they were lost Chozo technology known only to a handful of surviving Chozo. (For example, Gul'Gen, Samus's chozo mentor. But more on that later.)  
  
Samus and Houston emerged from the elevator airlock hatch on top of her ship, acid rain showering down in the middle of a terrible storm dwarfing the most violent tropical storms Houston experienced on his home planet of Earth. Samus checked her suit integrity from an eye-activated terminal inside her visor.  
  
"Everything seems okay with my suit - the acid has no effect. You?" Houston nodded and gave her a thumbs up in his chozo suit. "All systems go, Boss." Samus charged her arm cannon and leaped off her ship and onto the damp and deserted plateau.  
  
'This feels too weird - just like last time on Zebes. I wonder if -' Just thinking out her first eerie footsteps on Zebes scared her back into reality and she motioned to Houston. "Okay, let's split up and keep a live feed of the territory we've explored between us, and don't cut communications unless I say so. Let's move."  
  
Houston went the other direction from Samus and then she was alone. "Just like old times . . ." Samus couldn't help but think the weather, the mood, and the scenery of the abandoned outpost planet reminded her so much of Zebes. She hoped it wouldn't be the same as Zebes, Squee forbid. 


	6. Chapter 8: The First Few Minutes

Chapter 8: The First Few Minutes  
  
Samus walked only a few feet from the ship and entered a few caves beyond the landing pad and Houston was out of sight. Houston's mapping system was working as well as hers and they were still investigating together. The wind howled and the acid raid blew against them both, the bounty hunters within an inch of their lives thanks to their battle suits.  
  
"Anything unusual, Houston? How's your suit taking the weather?" Samus stealthily rounded the corners and waited for Houston's cheery answer. "Nothing, boss. The acid is strong, but the chozo are good at their job, eh?" Samus didn't reply and noticed a high cliff face stand defiant to the terrible weather. At its base was a small enclosure with a blue blast door.  
  
'Fancy that, a color-coded door. Old Federation technology from chozo door systems.odd.' Samus thought, and inspected the door. "Houston, I've found an entrance to a possible installation. I'm going in." Houston replied with just as much caution in his tone, some static in the signal. "Roger, boss. I've got one too. We might lose communications." Samus blasted the door with her wave/plasma beam. It opened with an all-too- familiar whirr.  
  
"Proceed with caution, Houston. Return to the ship in 5:00 hours. Blast anything that moves. Something about this place doesn't seem civilized. Or safe for that matter." A scrambled reply came that Samus could barely make out. "Roger, boss. Be careful Samus." "You too, Houston. See in O-500." Samus proceeded into the door and lost radio contact immediately.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Samus emerged into a dark and unlit metal hallway, abandoned desks and inoperable computer terminals lined in organized barriers against locked metal doors. 'Makeshift barricades - a big fight was here - don't know how long ago though.' Samus thought analytically, but held her arm cannon ready, and turned on her vision lights on her helmet. A beam of light shone in front of her so she could see a bit better in the unlit station.  
  
Samus crept silently through the hallway, ancient blast marks covering the walls of the lobby. Blast doors a locked metal gray lined the walls. No hints so far. Samus could hear the wind and rain beating against the entrance door, thunder still echoing in the hallways. Samus finally found a single blue blast door at the end of the room.  
  
"Well, I might as well check it out." Samus mumbled and blasted it open. She checked her back. No surprise dragon appearance. Nothing interesting. Nothing alive. Samus turned back and entered the doorway.  
  
* * * * *  
  
It was a primitive stairwell, cobwebs lining the corners and led both far up and down. This place was bigger than Samus thought. A slightly torn and decayed map hung on the wall on the adjacent level of the stairs. Samus took a look at it.  
  
Level 6 Observation Deck  
  
Level 5 Master Control Room  
  
Level 4 Officer's Quarters  
  
Level 3 Equipment Storage  
  
Level 2 Archives Storage  
  
*Level 1 Ground Level Entrance  
  
Sublv 2 Drainage  
  
Sublv 3 Drainage  
  
Sublv 4 Detention Control Room  
  
Samus decided to head to the Master Control Room four levels up. She charged her plasma beam and got her power bombs ready. There might be many space pirates on that level. As Samus crept up the stairs, she noticed how the sounds from outside became louder, the thunder shaking the floor much more than on the ground level. All the doors along the way were a locked metal gray, like the rest of the installation.  
  
  
  
  
  
At the top of the stairs, the only other colored door was at the fifth floor. It was a green blast door. Samus checked her flank again and saw nothing had been following her. Samus blasted the door with a super missile, shaking the stairs for a moment and the door opened with a complying whirr. She entered cautiously and charged her cannon. She tensed up, anxious for the battle to come.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The next room was indeed a powered down control room. Only its inhabitants were all dead. A horde of humans in amazingly thick space suits lay dead all over the controls, their corpses already long since decayed in their protective shells. Samus grimaced as he stepped lightly around the terminals.  
  
'Damn! These guys got slaughtered outright, and they have armor stronger than mine! This is no way to die.' Samus thought as she inspected further. None of the computers would respond or turn on. Samus used her X- ray scope on all the doors and panels - nothing. Then a glint of blue blast doors caught her eye.  
  
Far deep into the control room, a hub of four operational blue blast doors surrounded a fifth green blast door. A red warning light shone above the green door with the word DANGER in faint red letters. Samus immediately blasted the door with a super missile and entered.  
  
Samus emerged into a cramped and enclosed room with a big reactor in the center, with buttons with lights and labels running down the side of the reactor. The door closed behind her and was no longer colored, locked like the rest of the place. "What the hell.?" Samus had no choice but to inspect the reactor. The buttons that ran down the side read:  
  
( ) Master Power  
  
( ) Control Room  
  
( ) Officers Quarters  
  
( ) Ground Level Power  
  
( ) Detention Block 1  
  
( ) Detention Block 2  
  
( ) Detention Block 3  
  
( ) Mutinitions Shed  
  
( ) Central Processing  
  
(x) Restricted Area  
  
The last labeled button was slashed through the words 'Restricted Area.' Samus didn't like the sound of this place, but turned on the Master Power Switch.  
  
Immediately, the lights flashed on in the reactor room and the door flashed blue. A surge of power hummed from the reactor and Samus knew it was generating enough power for the whole installation. She pushed on the rest of the buttons and she could hear the systems going operational in the area around the reactor room.  
  
Samus noticed the Restricted Area button was already on and was smashed in so it couldn't be turned off. The plastic was freshly broken. Ridley must have done this. Samus blasted the door and walked briskly back into the reawakened control room.  
  
The lights were on and in the hub of blue doors was a holographic system displaying which the four doors led to. Archive Uplink, Map Uplink, Missile / Mutinitions Station, Energy Tanks. Samus blasted through to the Map Uplink room and saw a dead soldier in a scorched space suit slumped beneath the uplink terminal, like a watchful guardian of the stations maps.  
  
Samus hooked her arm cannon up to the map terminal and her visor computer finished the download in a few moments. Samus was too eager to explore some more and get more pieces of the puzzle to check the map right away and she exited the room.  
  
Samus blasted into the Mutinitions Storage Room and found a collection of deep space armor suits and missile tanks and laser upgrade systems. All operation. Each armor suit was different, but Samus ignored them since being up against the wall, and she already had her chozo suit.  
  
Samus eagerly exited the room and failed to notice that one of the space suits jumped down from its perch on the wall and crept after her. Samus emerged into the hub and was about to blast the door to the Archives Uplink Room. A high-pitched hum of a charging plasma cannon emerged from behind her and a robotic voice came from there as well.  
  
"Freeze! Power down your arm cannon and turn around slowly! You have 10 seconds to reply with my orders!"  
  
Samus froze in her steps, completely caught off guard and considered her options in the last five seconds. 


	7. Chapter 9: A Forgotten Place

Chapter 9: A Forgotten Place  
  
The mechanical voice repeated, "Your 10 seconds are over. Turn off you arm cannon or you will be fired upon." Samus tensed up and made up her mind - she prepared for a backflip and slyly mocked her assailant with a question. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with?" A quick response came, the opposing end of the other's plasma cannon charging even higher.  
  
"'An intruder who has no idea who she's messing with. Now power down your arm cannon - I won't tell you twice." Samus gave no further warning and flipped with a moment's agility, landing behind her opponent within a few more moments. Samus unleashed Ice-Plasma energy into her enemy's backside.  
  
To Samus's surprise, the figure was human and was wearing one of the heavy space suits that she saw in the armory. But he plasma beams had no effect on the armor, not even pushing him back. The figure turned around slowly as if being pissed off, and shook his head, his helmet hidden in the shadows of the computer hub. "Wrong answer, Samus Aran." And he unleashed his end of the plasma beam from his own arm cannon.  
  
Samus leapt away and started circling her armored opponent, firing missiles all the way. The stream of plasma beams followed her around the room, trying to catch up with her. The figure was not getting dizzy. Samus switched to Ice Cluster missiles and they didn't even slow her enemy down. Her for issued a loud order amidst the plasma beams, "Samus! Surrender now and end this useless fighting! You can't win against me!" Samus clenched her teeth under her helmet and switched to super missiles, but as they hit the armored human, it only knocked him back a few paces. In the time it took her super missiles to reload between shots, her enemy advanced back to his original position.  
  
Then Samus had an idea. Her suit was flashing yellow with speed booster energy gone unused. She stopped on a dime and clung to the wall, her suit glowing yellow for a few seconds. She got into a position as if she was about to launch off the side of a swimming pool. Her foe poured plasma energy into her suit and she took a constant stream of damage. Samus checked her aim at the figure. It finally dawned on him that what she was about to do and the armored figure backed away and tried sidestepping her aim while he fired. He said nothing. Samus had few precious moments before her speed booster energy would fade, and she launched straight out in a speed jump from the wall into the armored human.  
  
The resulting collision only caused minor damaged to Samus, a deafening crash rocking the walls and ringing Samus's ears. Her opponent on the other hand, did not fare so well. The collision caught him straight in the gut, and sent him flying into the wall behind him. The walls shuddered and the figure dropped to the floor, a crumpled mass on the floor. He didn't move or utter a cry of pain.  
  
Samus got up and eyed her defeated enemy. His suit did not appear damaged from this distance, so Samus crept up a foot from her enemy and inspected the damage she'd caused. The armor he wore was an old-earth spacewalking suit she'd seen in Earth museums about the 21st century. His chest armor only had the smallest of dents in them, and no ruptures. His gold visor reflected the light from the room. Samus could see herself in its reflection.  
  
She moved her arm down to lift the gold visor to see what was under the armor, but an armored hand shot up from the crumpled body and deactivated her arm cannon, crushing the controls with a hard wrench. She pulled away, backing up and trying to reactivate her arm cannon. Before her, the once crippled figure got up and straightened itself up. It approached her slowly and spoke, its tone a little annoyed. "Samus - Samus! You thought that little maneuver would do me in? I can't be treated like every other enemy you've faced so far! No stop fiddling with those controls and put your hands behind your head." Samus backed up equally and found that the figure had his arm cannon fixed on her again. Then she found an old friend in her inventory.  
  
Samus grinned at the advancing figure and pointed her arm cannon at him and stopped backing up. She charged the cannon, her body glowing a rainbow of colors. The spectrum reflected off the gold visor and her enemy halted at once. "What? No - " It started to back away again. Samus advanced with an equal pace. "Ha! You know what this is?" "Yes - but how could you? Please - " The tone of her enemy turned to pleading, desperate inside its mechanized tone. "It's a part of me, not just my suit. Now you unarm your weapon and tell me everything you know or else you'll get all of it." "No! Please - I don't' - want - to die. No - Samus, please!" "I don't have any reason to keep you alive except you might cooperate. You attacked me first. Talk!" "Samus.promise me you won't - kill me -" "Fine. I promise as long as you cooperate!"  
  
Her opponent stopped and paused for almost a minute. Then it spoke again, its voice regaining its superior tone. "What do you want to know, Samus Aran?" Samus was cooling down and disarmed her hyper beam. It seemed to relax her captive a lot. "First, I want to know how the hell you know so much about me." The figure shrugged. "Easy enough. You're a Federation outlaw, every commander in the known worlds knows about you." Samus was confused. 'Outlaw'? "No - I'm a hired bounty hunter by the Federation. I'm on their side. Where've you been for the last two years?" The figure paused again, apparently sorting things out himself. "Your voice reveals truth. You are not lying. I apologize for attacking you. As for your other question - I've been guarding this outpost in the meantime. With my hibernation, I suppose I received very little news from outside." Samus sighed. "Guarding? All these other guys are dead - and long dead at that. Why aren't you?"  
  
The figure approached Samus and she did not back up. He was right up to inches in front of her, the visors of their helmets almost touching. "C'mon Samus, just ask the question already. You can't explain why I best you in contemporary technology. You don't understand why your chozo weaponry doesn't hurt me." Samus was ready to spit it out at him. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
The astronaut raised up his gold visor, and revealed a nasty surprise for Samus. Beneath it was a metal face but instead of human features, it was covered with small radar dishes, small beacons, blinking lights of all colors, photo receptors of many colors and shapes, and even smaller transmission towers that looked like needles. Not the smallest place on the face was unused. Samus jumped back with horror. "What the hell are you?!"  
  
The astronaut left his visor up, and spoke with an unusual pride and dignity. "My comrades called me Alpha. I am the first and last of the Mechaguardians created by the Federation to watch over high-security areas. They gave me this armor so I would never have to worry about being defeated in battle. I'm practically immortal and invincible - until you and your hyper beam came along." Samus was incredulous. "So you're one of the five super-AIs made two years ago?" "That is correct, Samus Aran." "And that would explain why you thought I was a rogue - before I first encountered the Mother Brain mission."  
  
Alpha didn't understand, and approached Samus again. "The Mother Brain? What has happened during my slumber?" Samus feigned away from Alpha, disgusted at his ugly robotic face. "Long story. First - I have to find Houston." Alpha took the action personally and took the hint. He put down his visor and asked Samus, "Better?" Samus gave him a thumbs-up, smiling under her helmet. "Much. I think they gave you the armor to conceal your true features too." Alpha nodded, "Perhaps. You spoke of Armstrong Houston. Is he still recruitment officer for the Federation?" Samus snorted with amusement. Long ago, in the days when Samus took orders from Houston to get assignments, he was the bigger of the cheeses above her. Now he's a partner in her assignments from the federation.  
  
"No. He's with me now. Tell you what - you find out where Houston is in this place and accompany me on this mission, and I'll fill you in on what's happened in the last two years." Alpha made his visor pan back and forth like a security camera. "I don't have much choice, do I?" "No. But you can make it easier on yourself by helping out. Do be a good sport and help out. Redeem yourself." Alpha shrugged and walked up to the hologram terminal at the hub of the doors they fought at.  
  
He inserted his arm cannon into the terminal much like Samus does with hers and the holo display came up. The map was gigantic, enormous, ginormous. The entire base was underground and only the command decks they were now in resided above ground. "Wow. It says this is a prison installation." "Once again, Samus, you are correct, but still a novice Sherlock - considering I already knew this." Samus flinched as she considered blowing Alpha's head off where he stood, but calmed herself.  
  
"The areas in blue are the command decks above ground. The yellow areas are the prison cells and detention decks, some of our prisoners dead in their cells, I presume-" "Yuck! You sure sound concerned!" "Not at all, Samus. This base was a prison for galactic murderers and war criminals. If you knew some of them, you'd think they deserved it. The red areas are the restricted areas. That's odd." Alpha sounded curious.  
  
Samus didn't like it. "What's odd?" Alpha paused a moment and zoomed in the holo display onto the deepest level of the restricted deck. It was flashing red and a big WARNING label around it. "That wasn't there before. Intruders. Are they what you came here for, Samus?" Samus looked at the decks - they were deep into the planet's magma sections. It had to be Ridley. Just like him to bury himself deep in the maze of planetary installations. "Yeah. Download that map for me. Now could you find Houston with this?" Alpha zoomed back out to look at the map as a whole. "Surveillance systems on line - please wait." The holo changed to a camera's view on a human in a bluish chozo suit. "Yep, looks like Houston. Can we call him from here?" Alpha shook his head slowly. "No, we'll have to walk it. Shall we go?" Samus turned off the terminal before Alpha retracted his arm cannon. Alpha and Samus went out the control room at a light jog.  
  
"Isn't it hard to run with that heavy armor on?" "Not one bit. I'm a robot, remember. This armor weighs almost nothing to me. But that hyper beam scares the joules outta me." Samus glanced at Alpha as they ran down the stairs. Alpha's visor was panned in her direction as he glanced back. He did not miss a single turn or step - perfectly keeping up with her. "What?" "I don't know. I just thought - no, nothing." "Don't you dare get feelings for me. It'll give me nightmares knowing that an AI has a crush on me. Just help me out and the Federation might get service for you yet."  
  
Samus thought to herself as she blasted open a blue door. 'I wonder if Deltha's doing all right - I sure hope Ridley hasn't bloodied him up, knowing Ridley.'  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Damn it all! Why didn't you kill that cursed guardian on the last patrol to the control room?" Ridley was fuming and smashing control panels left and right, terrifying his subordinates. One dared to be the bearer of bad news. "Because, sir - it's a mechaguardian, and what's worse: Samus is with him here!"  
  
The mention of the bounty hunter's name made Ridley cringe, and he impaled the officer's head with his claws. He cursed his own frustration and destruction. "NEVER! EVER! SAY THAT NAME IN MY PRESENCE!" He threw the limp body to the side and shot a finger at the next tallest officer. "You're in his place now! Take care of that wretched hunter and guardian or else you'll be joining Smitts as the second wall decoration!"  
  
The armored space pirate had a thick black visored helmet and looked up to Ridley, shaking madly. "But sir - how can we destroy the guardian when his armor is impervious to our weapons?" Ridley's eyes were insanely wide and he reared on the man, but stopped. "I know who to ask. I will have a new weapon for your men that will penetrate that mecha's armor."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Deltha woke up in what he quickly recognized as the same prison cell. Only this time, he was chained to the wall and he was missing his special glasses. He spotted them, broken, on the floor of his cell. The lights suddenly flashed on, bright light piercing his eyes. Temporarily blinded, Deltha closed his eyes. The light seemed to dim as his eyes grew used to it. Then a terribly familiar voice invaded his ears.  
  
"Deltha! How was your sleep? Having trouble figuring a escape plan without your precious glasses?" It was a low and cackling voice, with evil laughter following. Hot and noxious breath washed over him. Deltha didn't bother to open his eyes. "Hello, Ridley. I slept just fine, thank you." The voiced blasted him in his ears almost inches from his ear. Deltha could hear the dragon's lungs at work behind the words.  
  
"GOOD. I HAVE A JOB FOR YOU. I DO YOU A FAVOR AND YOU DO ME A FAVOR." Deltha sagged a bit, unwilling to help the dragon. Ridley seemed not to notice. "IF I LET YOU ROAM THE INSTALLATION IN AREAS CONTROLLED BY MY MEN, AS A FREE MAN, YOU CAN BUILD ME A NEW WEAPON."  
  
Delta shrugged and spit in the general direction of the voice. "HMMM. YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND." At once the wall shook like Ridley's fists pounded the chains and Deltha fell to the floor. Deltha opened his eyes to the dragon who looked down on him. "What makes you think that I'll cooperate?" Ridley let out a biting cackle that Deltha was sure was Ridley's trademark cackle. "If you don't I'll kill you on the spot and you won't see Samus again, or have a chance to help her. If you succeed in making a weapon that does what I need it to do, you'll continue to live in the open hallways of this installation."  
  
Deltha considered his options. He formulated a plan that ran along Ridley's plans for a while - dragons weren't stupid. Ridley knew Deltha would try to help Samus, but knew he needed to survive first and foremost to do that. He decided to play along for now. "Okay, Ridley. What do you need me to do for you?" Ridley smiled evilly and bent back to address Deltha from a less loud position.  
  
"You know a lot about mechaguardians, don't you, Deltha?" "Of course I do, you moron - I'm the one who made them." Ridley only smiled back, not retaliating. "I knew that too, which is why you're the best person to talk to when it comes to dealing with them." Deltha's face lit up with momentary excitement. "One of them's with Samus?"  
  
Ridley frowned at the man. "Yes. He's become a big problem. I'll give you any parts you need, but you need to make me a ranged weapon that will pierce the armor of your creation, Alpha." Deltha was shocked, and torn between his commitments. Ridley could tell and was doubly pleased. Ridley patted him on the back and began to exit. "Don't worry, Deltha. It's only a machine. Nothing worth crying over. Destroy it and we'll expand your contract to seeing Samus again. Ex-commander Smitts will be your aid throughout the installation. He'll help you find any parts you need and keep you from trying to escape. His circumstances will be an example of what will happen to you if you fail. You're good with androids, aren't you, doc? Hahahahaha."  
  
As Ridley left, a heavily armored space pirate stepped in, except his thick black helmet had several large holes torn in it. Inside Deltha could make out that the pirate's face, perhaps even his entire body, had been replaced with an android's metallic body. Blood still dripped from the puncture wounds, but the pirate stood there with his weapon drawn and pointed at Deltha. A gurgled but mechanical voice emerged from Smitts, and sounded as if he was being drowned while he spoke. "Well, you heard the boss! Get on with it! MOVE!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Houston walked further into the installation, the wind banging against the walls outside the shelter. He thought to himself, 'Seems like nobody's home.' He spoke with self-constructed humor, about to turn on his helmet lights, "Damn, and Houston said, 'let there be light!'" A loud bang of crashing equipment was heard far away. The lights then flashed on and all the computers turned on in an instant and Houston looked around in awe. "That's funny." Houston listened for any other reaction. None. Houston walked up to the nearest blue blast door and blasted it open with a plasma beam. He cautiously walked through it and emerged onto a stone balcony overlooking a vast chasm. The door closed behind him and was a placid gray, not changing color at all.  
  
"Locked. Damn!" Houston was trapped outside in the horrid weather and noticed how large the chasm was, and it seemed not to have a bottom. He could barely see a floating building thousands of feet across the chasm, It was floating just above the level where the balcony rested. "A leap of faith. Except I don't have any diary to make sure with. Oh well." Houston sighed and switched on his space jump equipment. He made a short running start and leaped off the edge of the balcony. 


	8. Chapter 10: Hero's Reunion

Chapter 10: Hero's Reunion  
  
Armstrong Houston concentrated hard while he somersaulted through the air, his space jump equipment keeping him bouncing in mid-air. He tried not to get dizzy as the stormy sky and black chasm repeated after on other in his view. "Got to keep going, got to keep going -" Was going through his mind as the wind kept blowing against him.  
  
Houston touched down on the metallic balcony on the floating reactor shed after almost a minute of uninterrupted space jumping. "Phew! Made it!" Houston was about to walk a bit further towards the blue blast door when a strong gale-force storm wind blew him back. Houston waved his arms around as he tried to balance himself on the very edge of the balcony. "Woooooaaaaah!" He didn't look like the partner to the great Samus Aran as he flailed his arms in the air in big circles.  
  
Finally, the wind let down and Houston only had to lean forwards to step back firmly onto the balcony. "Right. I meant to do that." Houston reminded himself and blasted open the door that lead inside. It was brightly lit up in the small room, and Houston entered to get out of the stormy weather.  
  
The door closed behind him, locked once again. Houston grumbled something about 'a warm welcome' and looked around at the room. The reactor shed was filled with computer terminals and reactor pillars lining the room's perimeter. Red and white lights pierced any shadows that were in the room. The computers were operational, but Houston wasn't THAT good at computers, and gave up quickly. What took Houston's attention away was the reactor pillar in the center of the room.  
  
It was lined with a thick glassy material that displayed the level of the chemical inside the reactor. Houston couldn't tell if the glass was tinted a neon orange-red, or if the chemical inside the core was glowing that color. Either way, he only saw one significant object on the core: a giant red button without any label.  
  
Houston shrugged, giving into his cowboy instinct. "Okay, fine. When in doubt, press the big red button." He pushed it bluntly without hesitation and the whine of the cores made a crescendo to a roaring blast, like a hundred shuttle rocket engines surrounded the shed. Then it quieted down and was quickly replaced with another unusual sound.  
  
Houston was very oblivious to the first part of what was going on, but the unmistakable noise of flowing water caught his ears. The noise got louder and louder and became as tremendous as thousands of Niagara Falls pouring around and just below the reactor shed. Just when Houston thought that the water would blast through the walls, the sound died out quickly, and Houston could not even make out a trickle of water.  
  
Houston's eyes darted back and forth for a moment. "Ooops." He did not doubt the fact that every space pirate in a radius of three miles had heard him. He blasted the door open as quietly as he could, and crept outside to see what he had done.  
  
To Houston's surprise, the entire chasm was filled with water, up to a foot below the floating reactor shed. The door closed behind him as a powered on blue, and a metallic bridge noiselessly extended across the torrid waters, only making a supportive but narrow path. The storm made average sized waves that only spilled a few inches of water over the newly formed bridge.  
  
Some of the rain was coming down pretty bad; even ice was coming in bits and pieces. Houston couldn't keep his surprise upon 'solving' the puzzle he stumbled upon. "Holy Harrison Ford! The whole place has power, now!" Houston walked carefully across the bridge, making sure the wind or water didn't make him lose his footing. The door on the other balcony he came through was blinking gray and blue, a sign that it was working again.  
  
Houston blasted the door open, pleased with himself. "Time to report back to the ship. I hope Samus had as much luck as I did." Another voice quickly reminded Houston of his mission. Houston admitted that he really didn't find anything about Ridley or his mediocre band of misfits, but he did get the power generators on and bridged a once bottomless chasm.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Samus and Alpha were already outside, and Alpha's weather shielding powering up from a transmitter on the back on his neck. "It's been so long since I've been outside - but things have change a lot. All this horrible weather -" Samus thought to herself as she led Alpha back through the maze of tunnels to her ship. 'Well what was it like before? A prison base like this had sunny and warm weather outside?' Samus didn't voice it, but shrugged off the idea. This place was just like Zebes, and she figured Ridley liked it that way.  
  
Alpha stopped dead at the opening of the open cavern. Samus's ship was a beautiful sight to behold, especially for an AI. It's yellow plating and streamlined curves suggested very smooth atmospheric controls as well as flawless space flight. Her weapon systems were hidden from the human eye, but Alpha knew where to look. "Beautiful, isn't she?" Samus asked as she jumped up on top of her floating ship and opened the hatch on its top.  
  
Alpha nodded more than he usually did, very impressed. "It's perfect, Samus. Warp drive and Comm Systems for the Federation?" Samus popped he head back out of the hatch, "Yep! Why don't you come in while I hail the Federation for instructions?" Alpha backed up a step, and then shook his head. "No, it's all right. I'll wait out here for Houston. Don't worry about me." Samus shrugged and went out of his view, closing the hatch inside.  
  
A mechanical voice different from Alpha's greeted her as she crawled through her ship. "Welcome back, Samus. Did you find anything?" Samus didn't look up as she fiddled with the controls on her dashboard. "Hey Malkovich - err, Adam. Not much that really tells us much. The whole place is a prison base. I did find a hibernating mechaguardian in the command deck." A slight level of interest came through Samus's computer's response, "This is most interesting. Did you reactivate it?"  
  
Samus finally halted for a moment to consider true conversation with her CO computer. "No, it woke itself up as I was snooping around. We fought, but then it found out I was with the Federation. It calls itself Alpha." Her computer paused for a moment as well, as if considering what she had said. "I remember the name; never met him, though. Is he here with you?" Samus nodded, even though she didn't think that her computer had its 'eyes' open. "Yeah. It's waiting outside to greet Houston. I think they knew each other."  
  
Then a siren blasted the ship, the security protocols breached. Red lights flashed all around the ship. "What's going on?" The computer made no time to wait before responding. "Samus, a cluster of small but numerous bio- signs have breached the perimeter! You must take care of this quickly!" Samus opened the hatch and jumped out onto her ship, then slamming the hatch shut. 'Only one thing that that means - space pirates.' She thought to herself.  
  
Houston and Alpha were talking next to each other in front of her ship. Samus could tell that as he looked at her, Houston had the look of embarrassment and humor on his face beneath his helmet, and he turned to her. "Boss, you never told me I'd ever have to talk to him again." Samus was about to break the news to them both, but Alpha answered with an amused tone in his own mechanical voice. "That's because he never saw so superior an officer of my caliber in two years. He dropped three ranks since then." Houston and Alpha both chuckled; completely unaware of what was going on around them.  
  
Samus found her chance, "GUYS! A huge band of space pirates is closing in on us! Get the hell ready!" Houston jumped away from alpha and took a position on the ship. From what alpha discerned, Houston was camping out on an external missile-charging tank. Alpha just realized he hadn't turned on his perimeter radar and Doppler sensors, as well as sound, ultrasonic, and other sensor equipment.  
  
"Sorry, Samus! I hadn't used my equipment in years!" Samus jerked her attention away from the cavern entrances to Alpha, "Don't worry about it! Just make sure everything is working and we'll get through this! Don't let me down!" Alpha nodded and took a standing position right beneath Samus's ship, completely away of everything in a one-mile radius.  
  
Just when the blips on everyone's radar were about to pop around the corners, Samus's ship popped out two huge laser chain guns from the side, and extended two additional missile launchers from the front and rear. Samus spoke directly to her ship via comlink. "Thanks, Adam." "Not a problem, Samus. Just don't get killed." Samus nodded and then switched to her wave / ice / plasma beam and tensed up as the radar blips peaked their pitch. 


	9. Chapter 11: Threshold

Chapter 11: Threshold  
  
Samus switched her arm cannon to its natural plasma weaponry and started approaching the stone arch in the caverns they just exited from. Blips in their radar became so frequent that the space pirates must have the ship perimeter entirely surrounded. The wind picked up, and a constant downpour of acidic rain introduced the battle.  
  
The radar blips started going silent. "Fire at will, everybody." Samus spoke into her helmet comlink.  
  
The first space pirate leaped around the corner, and then another behind it, shooting plasma beams at the three figures. Samus and Houston each returned fire, strafing as they made piles of ashes of the space pirates. Alpha had a heavy laser turret extend out of his left shoulder and it was picking off space pirates left and right.  
  
The kill ratio was rising, but it was when Samus thought the raid was over in a few seconds that the deluge began. Acidic rain coated the air so thick that visibility was terrible, and space pirates began pouring out from the caverns. By the hundreds, swarms of space pirates poured plasma fire into the Federation formation.  
  
"Houston! Withdraw to the ship! Defensive formation Alpha 967!" "Roger boss! There's a bunch of 'em!" Another voice broke onto the channel, and it was Alpha's. "Samus, Alpha. What formation did you give?" Samus hastly drew back, pouring waved energy out into the masses of pirates and receiving tenfold in return. "Federation formation handbook! Alpha formation 967 - triangle position under the ship! Provide heavy cover fire! MOVE IT!!!" Samus's voice rose in pitch as she saw more and more pirates pour from the caverns.  
  
Then, everything became suddenly silent to Samus. The sounds of thunder and blaster fire and rain all faded from her ears. It must be what soldiers go through at times during war, Samus thought. Samus, Houston and Alpha stood back-to-back in a triangle formation under her ship. Alpha's turret was a blur of erratic motion, firing and changing angle again several times a second.  
  
The sky was growing dark, and the rainclouds' shadows cast the entire landing pad into a gray darkness. Then a new source of energy lit up the cavern. Samus's ship was firing its rail guns and laser turrets in tandem with its missile launchers into well-aimed places of the pirate mass. Lasers flashed red and green and yellow in rhythm with each other, lighting up the sky like a fireworks display.  
  
Samus kept firing forward, and started to lose attention at whether she hit four or five space pirates ahead of her. Not only did things go completely silent, but time had seemed to slow down. Samus could easily watch poorly-aimed blaster bolts flash past her and her comrades, yellow plasma beams cutting through the darkness. Her ship's missiles almost seemed to be floating in mid-air as they propelled towards their targets.  
  
She caught site of the pirates' commander, a heavily armored space pirate with a spiked carapace. It hissed at her and she couldn't hear anything else. Then it fired at her, using a weapon she'd never seen before. It looked like a missile cannon for her arm cannon, but it had three talon-like prongs around it. It fired its blue energy slowly, and Samus could see moments of the battle frame by frame.  
  
The bolt of energy was three times as big as the other blaster chunks at it zoomed towards her at supersonic speed, even when she saw everything in slow motion. There was no sound. Samus didn't react but simply fired an ice-cluster missile at the pirate commander, the icy projectile housing an upgraded super missile. The two opposing projectiles passed each other in mid-air. The space pirate's expression turned from a burning hatred and victory, to a terrified frown.  
  
KRACKOOOOOOOOM!!!!!  
  
Time reverted back to its original pace, and the sounds and hisses of the battlefield returned to Samus's ears. The explosion rocked the pirate commander and destroyed it in a spray of ice, its subordinates around itself meeting the same fate. A gaping hole was exposed in the pirates' line.  
  
"Eeerrrrrrck! *bzzt* No!" A convoluted mix of mechanical voice and scream of pain broke onto the comm channel. Samus glanced back at Alpha. He was on his back, trying to bend up at the waist, but a serious breach in his white armor revealed his internal equipment. small flames and much live electricity erupted from the open wound. "ALPHA! Report in, are you all right?!" Samus glanced back to fighting off the hordes, but was stricken with a cold feeling in her stomach.  
  
Fortunately, a response came back along the comm. frequency. "..Samus, Alpha. I'm all right; front armor breached and heavy damage to my balance systems. Can't.. move.. Pay attention to the battle!" Samus kept on dodging and rolling around the barrages of blaster fire coming from the endless space pirates.  
  
"Samus, I have locks on every space pirate in the cavern. Are you in need of the artillery?" It was Adam, and Samus' ship was humming a high pitch to the tune of all sixty of its laser cannons. Samus was incredulous, and Houston interrupted her all-too-easy decision. "Boss, we could use some help NOW." "Why didn't you use the weapons BEFORE we got a casualty, Adam?" Only a pause in the comm. frequency and Adam replied with an equally flat monotone.  
  
"Sorry Lady, but ever since I ran operations behind your back on the SR388 station, you forbade me use of -" Samus was incredulous and cut Adam off. "JUST FIRE THE WEAPONS, ADAM!!!" The following acknowledgement and discharge of energy quieted the cavern. The space pirates paused for a whole two seconds and refrained from firing and took notice of the once harmless space ship.  
  
Without an effective commander to coordinate an attack against Samus' ship, the space pirates cowered back from the light show before the energy cannons let loose. Adam commented nanoseconds before the discharge. "Stand by." Then, in succession, the five missile tubes on Samus' ship fired at a super-high rate, each one hitting a different target and then moving onto the next. The fireworks display of red and green lasers locked on and made a prelude for the rocket that followed.  
  
Within moments, not a single space pirate moved or fired in opposition. The cavern was quiet and only the heavy rain and thunderstorm above them ended the battle. Samus's ship's cannons were steaming amidst the rain, and Alpha was not even moving. Samus and Houston quickly ran to his side. "Thanks, Adam! Can you help us get Alpha inside the cabin? He needs serious repairs!" Adam answered by opening a hidden bottom hatch in the ship and activating the ship's external lights and fog lights. "Alpha! Hang in there - you're going to be all right!"  
  
Alpha's photoreceptors were going dim much faster than he had expected. He must have received some damage to his power and life support systems. Twenty-eight seconds before total blackout, he calculated. He could feel the heavy rain stop pounding his exposed internal components and start feeling Samus and Houston try to hold him up into the ship. Twelve seconds. Alpha wondered if he would have life after death like the humans he encountered over the years believed in. Five, four, three - at last, a long peaceful sleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ridley watched the surveillance monitors overlooking the landing pad that just fell silent. Samus and Houston lost an ally in action, and the blasted mechaguardian at that. Other space pirates around Ridley didn't know whether to consider the battle a victory or defeat. Deltha was standing next to Ridley, clearly much more sober than the days before and less than half as tall as the mountain of red muscle beside him.  
  
Ridley snickered. He watched Samus and Houston help Alpha into her ship and disappear from view. He snickered again, following up with a humorous snort. "Ha!" The control room was silent with ambivalence. No one knew what Ridley was thinking. Except for Deltha. "HA!" Ridley let out another mirthful laugh. Deltha understood that Ridley was calculating his options.  
  
Inside his devious dragon brain, Ridley was indeed choosing from a small list of tactical options.  
  
1) Samus and Houston destroyed his task force, but the weapon Deltha made for his troops did indeed destroy the mechaguardian. Deltha has come in handy, despite the incompetence of his own troops. The verdict: keep Deltha alive and lure Samus and Houston into a trap.  
  
2) Deltha could have made the weapon look like a spectacular display and not kill the mechaguardian. Samus and Houston could repair him and Deltha is still running around leaving cookie crumbs for them. The verdict: kill Deltha immediately and let Samus and Houston play into his hands.  
  
3) Samus and Houston are heartbroken over the loss and have decided not to go on due to the danger his new weapon poses. Deltha makes more advanced technology for him and his troops and Samus and Houston are overpowered. Kill Deltha afterwards and break the Federation's hearts. Really bad, smart, evil genius dragon. Oh yes - that sounded very nice. He'd be back on the "Most Feared Space Pirate" Award again and - - -  
  
Deltha on the other hand, did not know Ridley very well and prepared for the worst. Ridley turned to Deltha in mid-thought. He had a very smug and victorious look on his face. He spoke with less bass but more confidence than an hour before. "Deltha! I presume you analyzed and saw for yourself the destruction of your beloved creation?" Deltha just glared at Ridley. Ridley didn't give him much time to answer anyway.  
  
"Although we lost the battle, we're winning the war my human friend. And thanks to your help and cooperation: you get to live a while longer!" Deltha was asking himself quietly why Ridley would let him live at all. Ridley wasn't that sentimental or stupid. Was he? "I have a new assignment for you! Are you ready for this one?" Deltha continued the bitter glare, thinking to himself: You stupid dragon, you think you can use me like all the other human prisoners you've had.  
  
Ridley could not read people's thoughts, and thus continued with his briefing. "Remember that technology we stole shortly before we took your little installation?" Deltha knew exactly what it was, and Chairman Keaton no doubt knew as well. A well-kept secret until now. "I want you to use the plans to create a prototype of the device. You will have complete access to the labs in this part of the facility. But of course, you can't go anywhere alone." Deltha gulped, hoping not to get watched by the cyborg-ish Smitts.  
  
Ridley was clearly enjoying himself and walked around the control room, walking with long strides and gesturing in the air as if he was some sort of fashion consultant or poet describing something utterly beautiful. "Smitts has had some technical difficulties finding a way to keep breathing, so we're replacing him with Ki-Chac, my second in command. He will help you become familiar with our technology while not getting too curious."  
  
An insect-like humanoid stepped up, and Deltha recognized it immediately. It was from a race of insects that the Federation (or Samus, for that matter) had yet to make contact with. Ki-Chac was a Kihunter, and wore a heavy biomechanical suit that covered all but its head. It mandibles were glistening a metallic green, as was the rest of its exposed scales. Its armored wings were folded back against its armored back.  
  
Ki-Chac saluted Ridley, a fire glowing in his red eyes. Its voice was not as shrill or cluttered as Deltha had thought insects to have. While still high-pitched, its vibration quality was as smooth as Deltha's. "Ki- Chac, 1st Commander Armored Corps reporting for duty, sir!" Ridley cackled and saluted back. Deltha thought that the address was unusually military. Ridley had connections. The voice was probably accompanied with an implant.  
  
Ridley ended the salute, which Deltha though very unusual for space pirates, and gestured to Deltha. "Commander, this is our prisoner and guest President Deltha of the most prosperous robotics company in the galaxy. He assisted your men in taking down the mechaguardian. Deltha's eyes met with Ki-Chac's. The pirate commander's eyes were glowing a fiery red, and Deltha saw no friendsip or pity in the eyes, only hatred and war.  
  
Deltha had a fiery sensation inside his head as Ki-Chac grinned evilly. His head burned so much he was about to keel over and let his brain explode when the burning stopped and Ki-Chac was looking back at Ridley. "I see that Ki-Chac has shown you only a hint of his abilities. The Kihunters have given me the finest warrior they possess in exchange for the delivery of several key Federation access codes and political channels. Weaponry and fleet patterns are fair game too, so the Space Pirates can make money on not just salvage. What do you think, Deltha?" Ridley was clearly in too good a mood to realize the stupidity of the question.  
  
Deltha was about to blast the dragon with a salty insult when a high- pitched voice entered his head again. 'I wouldn't say that, if I were you, human. You may be Ridley's guest, but you're still an enemy in my eyes. You should keep your mouth shut and follow his orders.' Deltha felt the burning again as he saw Ki-Chac looking directly at him. Ridley was already walking away, dancing to a disco tune or rhythm in his head. Deltha didn't have telepathy, but only had to think conscious words for Ki-Chac to read them.  
  
'Why are you following his orders anyway? Your race doesn't care one bit about the scum of the galaxy.' The Kihunter exchanged a bitter glare at Deltha. The message was complete, but Deltha couldn't tell if the Kihunter was frowning or smiling smugly. The voice broke in again.  
  
'You underestimate me, Deltha. I know you as well was you know yourself. You cannot fool me. I am under Ridley's command as long as my Master's interests coincide with the dragon's. You'd better start looking around for parts, pithy human.'  
  
Deltha stretched his arms for the first time in days despite the loss of Alpha fresh in his mind. Poor Ridley, he doesn't even see beyond Deltha's plans. Deltha started walking as he finished calculating his own options.  
  
1) Play along with Ridley, make a working prototype, and escape at the moment when Ridley is too close to winning.  
  
2) Play mind games with Ki-Chac and tamper with the installation's security systems, helping Samus and Houston as they come closer to home.  
  
3) Keep the third option from entering his conscious thoughts. If he let his thoughts surface, Ki-Chac would ruin the plan and everything Deltha would have done here would be in vain. The third plan, at least, has yet to be discovered. Good luck, Samus - Houston.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Samus and Houston tried wiring Alpha internal neural circuitry to Adam's mainframe and jumpstarting the mechaguardian's brain functions. "I'm sorry, lady, but Alpha is no longer in there. He has passed on - or at least I believe he did." Samus was incredulous and just as determined as Houston. "He's got to be there. He can't wimpo out on us like this. Adam: keep looking for him in his armor and keep the repairs up until Alpha comes back!"  
  
"Lady-"  
  
"No. I won't hear it. Signal the GF fleet for emergency help, even somebody from Deltha's inner circle."  
  
"Samus-"  
  
"You heard me, Adam. I'm not under protocol and you have a life to save. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have more in common with Alpha than anyone or anything else in the galaxy. Get him back."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
Outside, the rain and wind had finally died down and a small ray of light shone from the black clouds onto the purplish fusion ship. The wind only rustled the drenched grass and rocky plants. There were no flowers in a twenty-mile radius, and not one word spoken for the death of a machine. I quote Logan Pearsall Smith, "I cannot forgive my friends for dying; I do not find these vanishing acts of theirs at all amusing." 


	10. Chapter 12: Subversion

**Chapter 12: Subversion**

"Damnit, commander! How much slower will this hunk of junk go?"

Keaton roared at his 1st officer. He was back in command of the battlecruiser _Excalibur_, and he was once again in command of the Galactic Federation's Combined Fleet. Unfortunately for him, the fleet needed to stay together and this made the trip very dull and boring. Not to mention the two-day flight that would be required for them to reach Forge.

"I'm sorry sir, but the slowest ships in the fleet are moving at their full speed! We can't go any faster for the sake of keeping the fleet united!" The officer didn't look at Keaton when he spoke, instead helping an ensign with the controls of a comm. station. Keaton was in his usually bad mood, and his on-board guests could see through him.

A jolly and baritone voice popped into the conversation. "Keaton, don't worry," It was Hardy, munching on a 12-foot sub sandwich in the meantime. "I'm sure Samus and Houston can do perfectly well on their own! And with that Mechaguardian she briefed us on – Ridley is done for sure this time." Before Keaton could grab the sub from Hardy, a final guest interrupted the quarrel.

"Enough, both of you. Samus requested immediate backup and that's what we are here to give her." The President of the World's Congress was sitting upright in a very comfortable-looking pilot's chair. His black, sparkling eyes were fixed on Keaton. "Just keep her on course, Admiral Keaton."

Keaton turned to the president, hesitating for a moment.

"Mr. President, if I may bring up my one complaint-"

"If it is about my coming along, can it. I decided to come along twenty-five hours ago, and I do not go back on my decision. I am here to ensure the successful and proper execution of the operation."

Keaton hung his head. "Yes, Mr. President."

The President then rested his body back against the chair and spoke with much authority to the helmsman. "Ensign Donald, prepare the proper coordinates for a hyperspace jump to the Forge system." Aye sir." "Lieutenant Rackham, signal the rest of the fleet and transmit the same coordinates to their computers." "Aye sir."

Within moments of acknowledgement, every ship in the Galactic Federation Combined Fleet floated into a spearhead formation, following the by-the-book procedures of using a hyperspace jump with so large a fleet. The President's order were followed flawlessly and every pilot's adept abilities made the formation shift look like ballet in space. 

Flight Ensign Donald reported in. "Coordinates set, Mr. President." Following right after was Lieutenant Rackham, "Sir, the fleet is in position for the hyperspace jump."

Keaton leaned in to whisper to the President. "Sir, are you sure this is a good ideas? Hyperspace jumps are risky and could spread the fleet over the known worlds-" The President waved him off and responded to his officers' reports. "Lieutenant, open a comm. channel to the fleet." "Aye sir, comm. channel open."

The President did not even stand up to deliver a speech. His bold voice sounded like a bellowing captain's command, "All ships jump to hyperspace on my signal. Three-two-one: Engage." On the last command, every ship in the combined GF fleet hit its warp engines and made a solar boom in the space around it. The images of all the ships warped forwards and then the rest of the ships followed suit. In an instant, the fleet was gone,

* * * * *

Bright lights.

Excruciatingly bright lights. Scratch that, the light does not hurt.

Colors. Armor plating and circuit boards. Red siren lights.

Voices. Familiar but unseen voices. Nearby.

Heat. Dry. Complete.

Diagnostic complete. All systems nominal.

Present location appears to be the pilot seat of a small ship of unknown design. Ship identified as belonging to-

"SAMUS!!! Wake up, SAMUS!!! You won't believe what just happened!!!" 

Voice of excited and positive tone. Voice identified as belonging to-

"HOUSTON! WHAT?! What the hell did you wake me up in the middle of the night for? If it's not a band of pirates or the GF fleet, go away." 

Voices confirmed. No immediate danger. Activating conscious programming systems. Running diagnostic - - -

"No, but it's just as good! You'll want to hear this!"

Diagnostic complete. Emotional systems and memory databanks sustained no damage. Scratch that, sustained heavy damage but were repaired due to an unknown source.

"Houston, if this is another one of you're stupid dreams about Gerrard Capashen, the goblins of wrath-"

Unknown telepathic link detected. Running tracking program. 

'Welcome back Alpha.' 'Who are you?' 'My name is Adam. I belong to the Galactic Federation. I serve Samus Aran.' 'Samus?' 'Yes. She helped you inside when you were damaged.' 'How?' 'Unknown. Space pirates used an unknown weapon on you. No damage I couldn't repair myself.' 'Thank you.' 'Not a problem. You an I have much in common.' 

'Was Samus actually worried?' 'She denies it, but she has a respect and alliance for you. You might want to get back to the human world.' 'Elapsed time of conversation: 2 nanoseconds. Affirmative, Adam. Thank you again.' 'Talk to you later.'

"- and their leader Squee, The Maginificent, you're gonna get a pounding!!!" 

Samus was furious at Houston and was too groggy to notice Alpha, in a fully retrofitted armor suit, get up from the pilot's chair. Houston on the other hand, watched the android walk slowly toward them both. Samus only looked up at him with tired eyes. She really didn't get much sleep that night. Or perhaps, Alpha thought, she wasn't used to sleeping at all.

"Alpha?" Samus asked groggily. Alpha nodded, his golden visor making Samus' and Houston's reflection perfectly. Samus punched Houston on his shoulder. "Loser! This is a stupid you're trick using Alpha's inanimate body!" Alpha chuckled inside. Houston was using his hands to bat away Samus's barrage of punches and slaps, but couldn't fight a woman.

"Samus?" Alpha spoke with his all-too-familiar monotone. It caught her immediate attention. "You're really –" Alpha shrugged as best he could, the armor was still bulky for his internal muscles. "Alive? Depends on your definition. I'm disappointed in you both."

Samus reverted back to her smart-ass bounty-hunter self and snapped back at him. "And why would you be disappointed in us? YOU'RE the one who gave out on us there!" Alpha shook his head and reached for the top hatch to Samus's ship. He spoke back to her as he lifted himself out of her ship. "You should have been hunting down Ridley and his gang while Adam was working on me. He's had time to-"

Adam's computerized voice blared at him.

"ALPHA! GET THE HELL BACK IN HERE!!! DON'T SHOW YOURSELF OUTSIDE THE SHIP!"

Alpha let go of his footholds and handleholds and dropped ten feet to the floor of Samus's Cabin. He turned to glare at the computer terminal, even though Adam was throughout the ship. Samus asked Adam quixotically, "Adam, what's going on?" Adam's voice hung on their air for a brief moment and continued to explain. "The installation's security systems are online. Ridley can see us from his perch."

"How do you know?"

"Because, lady, Ridley has always been in control of a planet's resources. In Zebes his space pirates had a fully fitted monitor room. You saw what it was like."

"Yeah, so?"

"SO – If Ridley thinks that Alpha is out of the picture, we can step up the advantage." Alpha interrupted. "Wait, everyone. I'm detecting an unknown but crude media file in my recent memory databanks. - - - It's Deltha, my creator."

Samus and Houston leaned in. "What's it about?"

"The message was transmitted via the electric blast that pierced my armor. Not only was I damaged, but I was infected with a small but crude message." Samus was getting impatient. "---And it says what?"

Alpha paused for a moment, as if he'd frozen on the spot, then spoke.

"Deltha is Ridley's prisoner and being forced to cooperate. His alternative is death –" Samus mumbled. "Sounds like Ridley, all right." Alpha continued, "I am in danger by helping you two. If I expose my current condition, Deltha will be killed. I have - - - I have been transmitted a copy of all of the map data of the installation. He wishes me the best of luck and that - - - and that - - -" Alpha's voice broke away abruptly and his shoulders sagged. 

Samus didn't think that AI's could have emotions. Probably an error in the message. Time to get back to work. "Okay then. Alpha, stay here with Adam and keep working on some badly needed intelligence and mapping systems." "Roger, milady." "Understood." Samus was surprised to see Alpha standingupright again and facing her. She smiled and put on her helmet and Houston followed suit.

Samus's voice came through the comlink in her helmet. "Houston, come with me. We won't be splitting up this time. Not unless something comes up. Finally –" But Samus couldn't finish her sentence due to the interruption of Adam's emergency sirens. Red lights flashed throughout the cabin. 

"Adam! What's going on?"

"A transmitter dish is emerging from the largest mountain in the area. Unknown origin. Technology is outdated to - - -" Alpha interrupted Adam. "Old-earth technology. It's a planetary shield projector." Samus was confused at what was probably Ridley's next move. "What would Ridley need that for?" Houston only tapped Samus on her armored shoulder and pointed up at the open hatch to the sky above. 

* * * * *

"Mr. President – Admiral Keaton! The fleet has arrived intact. We are ten kilometers from planetary orbit. What are your orders?"

The President had only spoken the order to jump to hyperspace two seconds ago, the fleet's time slightly increased due to its incredible speed. The planet Forge below had patches of black clouds covering its atmosphere. Keaton could see the lightning that crossed between the thunderclouds from space. It would have been a superb sight for tourists had they not been there to hunt space pirates into extinction.

The President sighed heavily, taking Keaton's words right out of his mouth. "Samus and Houston are no doubt taking care of things. Let's prepare to enter orbit and set up a beach-head. Follow Samus's distress beacon." "Aye sire." Then the pilot hesitated for a moment as he acknowledged the President's order. "Admiral?" "I understand, Ensign. Mr. President?"

The President did not acknowledge the fact that Samus's ship was emitting a distress call rather than a homing beacon or something for formal. But he knew something was up. "Order the fleet full stop. Hail Samus's ship." "Aye sir."

* * * * * 

"We're being hailed."

"Put it through."

"It's the President of the Galactic Fed-"

"Adam!"

"Acknowledged."

"Samus Aran and Armstrong Houston, this is the President of the Galactic Federation. I come bearing the combined forces of our worlds."

"Thank you, Mr. President, but –"

"But that is why we think there is a problem, Samus. What's wrong?"

"Sir – we've lost contact with the mechaguardian Alpha. And Ridley seems to be powering up a shield generator for the planet."

"What?! Stand by Samus! Lieutenant: search the planet's surface for such an anomally immed –"

The comm. signal was cut short, and a reddish glow filled the sky overhead Samus's ship. 

* * * * *

"Too late Mr. President, we've lost all communications with Samus."

"Tell me something I don't know, damnit!" The shield barrier had completely circumcised the planet, filling the darkness of space with an eerie reddish glow. It's source was easy to spot – a concentrated spot of energy in the atmosphere that was an opaque red.

The communications officer quipped a response before the pilot could. "Shield barrier consists of ionic compounds and - - - electromagnetic radiation and debris. Nothing's getting through it without getting seriously messed up, sir"

The President kicked the seat of his pilot's chair and sat down with the fury of a smited champion. Keaton didn't dare put up any comments for the sake of his command. The President had his head in his hand and spoke with a significantly reduced authority, almost squandered. "Order the fleet to surround the planet and form a communications network and blockade. Nothing leaves or enters that planet unless I say so!" "Aye sir, transmitting orders."

* * * * *

"Hoo hoo! Nice timing, Deltha! Did you see the fireworks on that one!" Ridley was once again ecstatic and almost forgetting the fact that he was the bad guy in this situation. Deltha and Ki-Chac both looked up at the ginormous monitor, which was displaying the GF fleet hovering over the red shielding.

Deltha said nothing, and dared not think anything that might give away the surprise he had in store for Ridley.

"With the GF fleet no longer a problem, now all's that's left is Samus and Houston. And we have the walking talking calculator on our side! Let's get ready for the welcoming party!" Ki-Chac was frowning yet again at Deltha as Ridley rallied his fellow space pirates.

'_Don't have anything human to say in defense of your Federation? Perhaps you aren't as useful as Ridley thinks you are._' Deltha gave a conscious thought back to the armored kihunter. '_What are you talking about? What could I possibly say to a bugger like you that would make things better for me?_' Ki-Chac hesitated for a full second whether or not to slice Deltha's throat on the spot, but took into account the Kroban dragon behind him.

His glowing red eyes grew a few shades darker.

'_You could either humor me or convince me that you would deceive Ridley but not myself. Now I know that to be a faded dream. Watch your back, Deltha. Ridley won't be around to watch you all the time._' And with that, Ki-Chac switched his casual armor to battle armor, a rainbow mix of scales and spikes. Almost instantly, the armor turned night black and Ki-Chac disappeared.

'_Cloaking. Damned buggers._'

'_I heard that. Don't depend on Ridley to save you too much – it'll get you killed anyways!_' Ridley then turned back to Deltha, with a sly look on his sleek face. "Deltha! Since you have been such a useful mammal today, I'm giving you the option of choosing what to do with Samus and Houston!"

Deltha mumbled an obscene word at Ridley, but fortunately for the dragon, he did not hear anything but, "Gee, how polite of you."

"You can either have us kill them with your superior weaponry, or we can stun and capture them and bring them back. For final goodbyes and all that icky stuff. Your decision."

"Capture them and bring them back here."

"Oooooh! Feeling a little on the edge today? This should be fun! Don't touch anything you shouldn't – if you do, Ki-Chac will make sure he fulfilled all his lovely promises to you."

Ridley marched off with a horde of more armored space pirates and Deltha smirked for the first honest time today. '_All his promises – you bagpipe brain! How much fun it should be indeed_.' Thought Deltha.

* * * * *


	11. Chapter 13: Crateria

Chapter 13: Crateria 

          Samus and Houston leapt off the edge of her yellowish ship and onto the moist grassy ground of the landing pad. The sky glowed a reddish hue despite the storm clouds that came in to cover up the once pure sunlight from above. Samus and Houston were bounty hunters, and they didn't have to worry about the weather – only the opposition.

          Samus tested her helmet comlink. "Houston, can you hear me, partner?" Houston's voice returned equally clear and mechanized from her helmet speaker. "Roger, boss. Everything's A-OK here. Where to?" Samus walked steadily back towards the entrance to the caverns and what would be the prison installation. Thunder rumbled far in the distance, a sign of a storm returning to the planet Forge. 

Samus spoke assertively as she led Houston back towards their rendezvous. "We're going in. First to find these weapons storehouses and navigation rooms Adam and Alpha have told us about. Should be like the navigation rooms we've used in the past." Houston nodded to himself, watching Samus's back as they crept deeper into the caverns. His bluish chozo suit blended in nicely with the rest of his surroundings.

The two came upon the same familiar blue blast door and Samus did the honors. They both walked in quietly, Houston still watching their flank. Only thunder and newly formed rain could be heard around them. 

Samus and Houston walked right into the lobby they'd seen before, only all the lights and computer systems were on. Despite the serious facelift to the room, nothing moved or made a sound. Samus thought to herself, '_This reminds me a little too much of the wrecked ship back on Zebes. Better keep a sharp eye out for any space pirates._' Houston was checking each computer terminal, looking for anything that could help them. "None of them work, boss. They just don't let me past the login screen."

Samus cursed under her breath, for no doubt when Alpha lost control of the computer systems, Ridley had tapped his own control into them. '_Which brings up another matter. If he has control of the computers and doors, wouldn't he have control of –_' Samus noticed a green door to her left that was squeezed in between a variety of computer consoles and fuel tanks lining the walls.

She blasted it with a super missile without hesitation. It whirred open obediently like all the other doors in the past. "Houston. I'm checking out this room. The map Alpha gave us doesn't cover this area. Watch my back."

"Roger boss."

Samus walked in and found herself in a treasure trove of plasma rifles, power bombs, missiles, ice missiles, super missiles, even modern Federation power suits. The room was cramped but nonetheless an interesting find. "Found the mutinitions room. Being on the main floor, this is probably enough for the security team that worked here." Houston's voice came in loud and clear from her helmet. "Good to hear it – no sign of trouble yet, boss."

Samus marked the room on her helmet's electronic map and returned to the main hallway. Houston was waiting just outside the door and had his arm cannon drawn. "It isn't like Ridley to leave the place open for exploration. Something's up." Samus knew Ridley better than Houston and deduced that he probably was hunting both of them right now.

"Stay on your guard. Let's check the unexplored rooms a floor below us – the navigation room is on the floor below that one." "Roger, boss."

Samus and Houston blasted the door to the stairwell at the far end of the hallway and walked through together. Houston only offered a single glance over his back. Still nothing. No dragons or pirates attempting a sneak attack. He just remembered about Ridley's abilities, but Samus easily got to it before him. She walked further down the stairs of the installation as she warned him. "Houston – mix infared scanners to your visuals. Ridley has stealth abilities and could be prowling us." Houston didn't need to acknowledge and made the appropriate adjustments to his visor.

The lower lever was a series of high-security rooms with several green blast doors with a mix of security gates that both hunters' wave beams took care of. Everything was working: the lights, computers and doors. But no pirates. "Houston, keep watching our flank. This is too easy." "Already on it, boss." 

A final orange door led the two into a deep and winding staircase going several dozen floors below them. Houston peered over the edge accidentally and received a slight vertigo effect. Samus held him back to the wall. "Don't look down. We only need to check the room just below us – it's the navigation room." Samus coolly stepped down the metal staircase, making sure not to cause too much of an echo.

Houston gulped and followed a little less confidently. The number of steps seemed not to end to Houston, but it was only a single flight before they got off at the blue blast door to the navigation room. Houston jumped through the door quickly, happy to be rid of the long drop below. "Houston, are you all right?" Samus was incredulous at her partner. Houston shrugged innocently at her. "Yeah, fine! Let's check out the nav station, eh?"

Samus shook her head and followed Houston to link her arm cannon with the lit computer terminal as Houston had done. The screen on the wall in front of them came up with a visual of Samus's ship interior. Alpha and his shiny golden visor filled up the view. His voice seemed all too much like Adam's. "Good. You made it this far. Any problems?"

Samus shook her head. "No. Not a single pirate in sight. No trouble at all." Alpha paused for a moment, as if processing the information a little too long. "That's unusual. Ridley would be mobilizing against you by now. Adam and I still cannot contact the Federation fleet in orbit. 

"Despite the lack of good news, Adam has recovered some of my memory regarding the mapping systems. It has been downloaded into both your helmets."

Samus and Houston both tapped into their helmet computers and noticed the sizable change in the map, much of it now explored in a reddish color. Some of the map was still an unexplored blue. Samus asked about the leftovers. "What about the lower level unexplored areas?"

"The unexplored patches on your map are rooms where security drastically changes. Automatic defenses and alarm systems. Expect a welcoming committee as well. Ridley would find it a nice place to ambush you."

"Thanks, Alpha. Anything else you have to offer us?"

Alpha turned his helmet to the side as if to speak briefly with something off the screen. He turned back, nodding slightly. "Actually, we do. Adam has modified the fiber technology in your chozo suits to resist the Particle Projection blasts that injured me so badly. Make sure to download the data at the uplink room before heading into the high-security area."

"Sounds good. Keep working on communications and better equipment for us while we're gone. We'll check in with you - - - in the navigation room just before the security checkpoint."

"Affirmative, Samus. Good luck."

Adam's voice came in too, distinguishable only by its higher pitch. "Will do, milady. We'll keep working on it. Now off you go!" The communications link ended abruptly and both hunters retracted their arm cannons from the computer terminal. Samus was the first to speak. "Well. I guess we head downstairs to the data uplink room. But keep a good eye out with your scanners, Ridley has had too much time to wait around for us by now."

"Okay, boss. - - - But do we really have to go down the stairwell? Doesn't this place have any elevators?" Samus snapped back at him and blasted the blue door back to the stairwell. "Quite yer whining! You're Houston Armstrong, fearless Federation bounty hunter! Let's Move!"

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

Deltha was beside himself with laughter. Ever since Ki-Chac snuck off on his own business with the raiding party, Deltha was free to roam the lax-security labs of the restricted area. For a prison base, Forge had some very sophisticated equipment and facilities for experimental technologies. So much so, he actually got to fiddle around with the technology himself, unaided.

"Time to work on a little surprise for frijoles face – err, Ridley."

Deltha looked around to make sure no space pirates were listening in or watching him. The lab was absolutely quiet with the exception of a few active chemical pumps in the walls. Deltha turned back to the closest computer terminal and started tearing its guts out of it. "This doesn't belong here – this isn't really necessary – I guess we could keep this in – A HA!"

After rummaging around in a heavy-duty mainframe computer, Deltha was obliviously excited over his recent find. He held up a capsule of fluorescent green liquid attached to a mound of wires and components. He tore it free, struggling with the technology. "I haven't seen one of such good quality since the prototype days! Which means –"

Deltha realized that perhaps the prison base was a few years old after all, and settled for the fact that the component he'd found _was _indeed made and utilized in its initial manufactuaring days – whatever it was. He tucked the capsule (wires and all) into his lab coat pocket and kept rummaging around in what he saw was a cyber-automalogist's sandbox. 

Completely unaware of the situation he was in, Deltha kept digging for spare part to make an item of which he did not have an immediate use for. So long as a space pirate wasn't around to question his intentions, he'd work on the plans for his escape. Deltha actually stopped worrying about Samus and started working on plans for a new whatchamacallit. 

"Get one of these – and one of these – and, ooh, NOT one of those –"

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

Samus was quietly making her way down the last flight of stairs at the bottom of the stairwell. Houston was gripping the rails as if he was out of breath, but bent down on his knees and acted as if to kiss the ground. Samus ignored him and inspected the orange blast door at the bottom of the stairwell. "Well, according to the map, this door leads us to the hallway before the uplink and navigation rooms." Houston got back up and felt much more confident in not having to climb any stairs.

"Good to hear it," He said, charging his plasma beam back up. "Now we can start kicking some pirate ass!" Samus activated a power bomb and walked quietly through to the hallway beyond. Houston made sure to watch his back once more, but neglected the opportunity to stare back up at the multiple-floor stairwell. He might have missed something, but he wasn't going to get dizzy all over again!

The next room was a small security office filled with desks and computer terminals all lined up in several rows next to each other. Samus continued walking towards the door at the other end of the room. "Check the computers, Houston. Any of them work?" Houston checked at least three and none of them responded to his illiterate attempts at accessing them.

"Nope. Sorry boss, still nothing."

"Have you tried pressing, 'Escape' ?"

"Huh? No – but that couldn't possibly do –"

Just as Houston pressed the 'Escape' button, the login screen faded away and popped up with an access menu. There had been no password at all in the past three years of misuse! Houston ate his words as Samus boiled with disappointment on her way towards the blast door.

"Keep checking out if there's anything of use. I'll link up with the suit upgrade." "Roger, boss. He he." Houston tried chuckling a little, but the humor didn't resolve his incompetence. He instead followed to explore the computer's database as Samus proceeded through the blast door into the Data Uplink Room.

Samus walked into the brightly lit room that resembled the navigation room they used not long before. The data uplink room had a human-sized capsule hooked up to a computer terminal in the wall. Upon her entrance, the celing lights silently changed to a bright orange and the walls seemed to be burning with heat. But this was all a visual effect when the room was put to use, and Samus ignored the change in color professionally.

She walked up to the data uplink capsule like so many times before and allowed the computer to interface with her chozo suit. Samus kept still as the data was loaded into her suit momentarily. Her visor showed a few strings of information concerning the process, and it lasted shortly. The machine stopped after a few seconds and Samus stepped out of the capsule to check her suit for the modifications.

Houston interrupted her inspection with a gruff voice, "Boss, I've been allowed access into the information database. Should I proceed to download?" Samus checked her suit's own database from her visor and answered him. "You were _allowed_ in, or you _found _your way in yourself?"

          Houston replied in an instant. "Everything just clicked, like I pushed the right button." Samus paused a moment. '_How could Houston, of all people, gain access to a previously secure computer?_' The thought flickered dangerously in her mind. "Negative, Houston. Observe and record on your own. Do not interface with the terminal." '_Ridley could be waiting for us to mindlessly open our suits up to infection. We'll play it safe for now._' 

          Samus ended the conversation with that, and at the same time found the modifications to her suit in her inventory. The 'Particle Fibers', as they were labeled, strengthened the integrity and stability of her armor and helped resist damage, especially from the space pirates' new PPC weapon. '_Nice. Let's try these suckers out.' _Samus activated the fibers and instantly the body glove of her armor went slightly more rigid, stiffened like a thick armoring material.

          Samus thought at once this would inhibit her movement and agility, but upon moving around and bending her joints, she found that the armor upgrade had not affected her movement. '_Not bad. Must come from the same design Alpha uses, or close to it._' Samus did a few practice somersaults and back flips, enjoying her unaffected agility, and resolved to return to fetch Houston. She landed lightly on both her feet, without a sound, and walked back to the computer room where Houston was no doubt doing what he called 'computer hacking.'

Houston was bending over a computer terminal, clicking madly on the mouse while saving visual information into his visor computer. Samus walked up to his side, placing an armored glove on his shoulder. "Anything interesting, Houston?" Houston nodded, his greenish chozo visor reflecting much of the light from the active computer screen. "There are records of all the prisoners held here, records of experiments held here, even records of battles and maps. For a low-level security computer, it sure gives up a lot."

"Yeah, well don't get too eager. Ridley might be controlling this computer just to dupe us. Don't take anything on these computers as the truth. Keep the visuals in your computer." "Roger, Boss." Houston didn't turn to look at Samus until just now, and noticed a slight change in her suit's appearance. He traded a second glance to her suit, which had grown a little thicker at the joints.

Samus looked down and around at her joints and noticed the strong black material that layered beneath the purplish armor plates had expanded to the same thickness as the armor itself. Samus moved her arms and legs just as easily as if the joints were without their armor. "Nice legs, boss." Samus gave Houston a light punch to the side, wounding only Houston's ego. "Keep your eyes to yourself, Houston. Or else I might have to –"

The front door to the room they had just entered in exploded in a giant explosion, sending blast door shards and shrapnel flying through the room. Samus and Houston ducked behind cover of the computer tables. No sooner than had the two hid for cover had laser bolts started flying over their heads. The air was thick with red and green blaster fire. Samus cursed under the ambush's conditions.

The blaster fire let down, and quieted to potshots at the occasional computer. Neither of the two hunters moved. Samus sent an instant message from her visor to Houston's. "Houston, have any Ice Cluster missiles with you?" Houston didn't even nod and sent a curt reply. "That I do. How many do you think?" Samus tried peering through the cracks in the cubicles, and glimpsed only a few dozen space pirates, three of them armored commanders.

Samus sent an immediate command to Houston. "Twenty-one regulars, three commanders. Suppressive fire. Only shoot when you can get most of them in the ice blast. I'll take the commanders. On three." Houston had operated with Samus in such circumstances several times before, and he gave a single word in response. "Ready."

"One."

"Two."

The lead commanding space pirate was sure Samus and Houston were in this room, probably playing hide-and-seek. He ordered three groups of five troops to investigate the cubicles when a flash of movement came from the right left corner of his vision. The chozo suit was of a bluish tint, and the commander turned to fire at Houston Armstrong. Before the commander had pivoted halfway, Houston launched a trio of fat, blue missiles at his troops – one at each group. The commander hissed a warning to his troops and ordered everyone to back off.

But alas, it was too late to change the order of things, and the trio of hunting parties froze in their tracks as the missiles exploded in an icy explosion, sub-zero clouds of gas expanding rapidly in front of the commander. He had lost half of his men from a single bounty hunter! The other space pirates turned to fire their petty laser fire at Houston, and the other two commanders fired their PPC weapons. 

Houston dodged out of the way in time to miss the laser fire completely, but the thunderbolt shots of the commander's PPCs hit home. They ripped into Houston's armor and crackled in fury against his reserve tank supply. Houston collapsed on the floor, the wind knocked out of him after being struck in mid-air. The three commanders advanced on his position, slowly.

Before they knew what was happening, three greenish missiles the size of rickets crashed into their sides from a place they couldn't see. The explosions consumed one other, and the space pirates were fried under the super missiles' explosions. In synch with the rest of the missile fire, Houston aimed an arm cannon up from his position on the ground and fired a second ice cluster missile at each group of troopers. They shattered in ice shards and joined the meager remains of their superiors.

Samus rushed to Houston's side and helped him up, a blackish hole where his blue chozo plating once was, now revealing the rubbery black body glove material beneath the plating. "C'mon, cowboy. We gotta get you to the Department of Chozo Suit Repairs." Houston walked a little doubled over and was held at the shoulder's by Samus. Only a faint blusigh lightning fizzled around her purplish armor, the upgrade doing its job for her.

After the download, the chozo suit had quickly regrown its own particle armor plates in the place where Houston's armor breach had been. It was now a navy blue metal that bended and flowed with the movement of the suit, but whenever Houston touched it, it was as solid as the rest of his armor. 

"Pretty kick-ass, eh?" Samus was delighted at the change in technology. "Yeah, real – err – interesting. I gotta get used to how this feels, though. It doesn't feel as –" Samus patted him hard on the back, cutting off his complaint. "Ah – you'll get used to it! C'mon, we have a briefing to go to!"

*                   *                                    *                                    *                                    * 

Deltha had finished his work. He had successfully made a thingamajig that neither Ridley nor Ki-Chac would ever know about; Until it was too late, of course. What a beautiful place to build all sorts of once-illegal technology! '_Whoops. Better calm down or else I might turn out like that dragon. I better get back to the control room to see what other things Ridley needs.' _A high-pitched chatter responded far behind him somewhere in the labs, like an insect chirping.

Deltha spun around and stood deathly still, waiting to hear for the same sound or any other movement. '_Ki-Chac –_' Deltha let the Kihunter's name resound in his conscious mind, but no answer came. Deltha turned back to the lab doors.

Deltha bumped right into a big, red, and scaly gargantuan. Its clawed feet and arms reached down to at least his head and a long, harpoon-like tail was thumping the floor like an impatient foot. Deltha looked up, a terrified and yet equally innocent look on his face. The sleek scaly head of a Kroban dragon was looking down at him with its glowing yellow eyes boring down into Deltha like x-rays. 

"**Well, well, well. What have we here? A scientist caught snooping outside his safety sandbox? What could he possibly want in a dangerous place like this?**" The dragon spoke with a curt and mocking tone, as if toying with the comparatively diminutive human. Deltha cleared his throat and acted as if to sound desperately panicked, which under normal circumstances would not be a hard thing to do – with a Kroban dragon staring down your pathetic little life.

"Ridley! Thank god I'd found you! Ki-Chac led me to this place and then just disappeared! I kept looking for him, and came back hear upon hearing an insect's –" Ridley was not enjoying this game, and smiled back sarcastically. "**Poor scientist lost his way? Really, Deltha, I would have thought better of you if this was an attempt to sneak away from me. Don't you know what I'm capable of?**" 

Deltha secretly thought to himself, '_Well, by now it seems you're capable of little more than basic, if not uneducated reasoning. Keep on talking, Ry._' Deltha resumed his act, hoping it would work. "You have the masterful technique of going in stealth mode. You of all being know better of how to best escape one's attention or custody."

Ridley, admiring how much this technician seemed to know about his amazing feats of darkness, smiled realistically and resumed the con talk. This game of sarcasm was winning points for neither side. Just a childish game Ridley hoped would force Deltha to divulge some information. Deltha, on the other hand, had a whole dictionary of by-the-book responses for such a middle-class space pirate. 

"**Well then, you seem to know the apparent stupidity of your situation. You say Ki-Chac lead you to this junkheap?**" Deltha nodded innocently. "**Hmm. I was suspicious of his loyalty. come back with me, we will make more use of you later today.**" Deltha couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the precious information Ridley was blindly giving away. The dragon felt so 'in command' that he though he wouldn't have to worry about his captive – his resourceful, clever, and sneaky captive.

As the dragon and the human resumed fancy talk while walking back down the dark hallways of the installation, another hiss and chirp of an insect came from behind. Deltha noted it, but didn't turn. Ridley didn't hear it, for all he heard was his own voice.


	12. Chapter 14: Brinstar

Chapter 14: Brinstar 

The briefing room was exactly identical to that of the one Samus and Houston had used just an hour before. They linked up their arm cannons to the computer terminal and the overhead screen lit up. Alpha popped up on the screen again, still inside Samus's ship. He was the first to speak.

          "Samus, Houston. You both made it. Any problems along the way?" Samus nodded, "We arrived in the computer lab just before the data room. Houston stayed behind to see what we could dig out of the databases while I tried the download. By the time I returned, both of us were ambushed by at least three-dozen space pirates."

          Alpha paused significantly longer than he usually did. "From behind? They must know the plans of the installation as well as I do. Did you eliminate them?" Houston took his turn, the pain in his chest fading from the impact the pirate's PPCs had caused. "Yes, but I took a direct hit from three of their particle weapons –" Alpha was very concerned. "Did you download the –" 

Adam interrupted, inquiring in his pitched tone. "No. I recorded only one download at a time, and that was from Samus." Houston nodded, finishing his explanation. "I still had a few reserve tanks left after Samus took care of the rest. I have the download now, and my tanks are recharged."

Relieved, Alpha continued with the main part of the briefing. "It seems Ridley is on to us – so we must move quickly. Beyond this room is a fork in the tunnels; each that lead to their own 10,000-foot shaft of prison blocks. A small elevator will take you down to the lowest level."

As Alpha spoke, a map display squeezed onto the visual screen and displayed their current position in green, and their intended path in red. The prison was enormously large, even for an underground installation. 

"Find each other after clearing out the prison cells. Then continue east from our position until you find the last navigation room. We will brief you there and provide whatever data we have researched by then."

Alpha finished and Adam took over the spakers for a while longer.

"Any questions, you two?"

Samus nodded seriously. "What exactly were the prison cells used for? This base has been abandoned for what – three years?" 

Adam did not pause like Alpha and responded immediately. "According to Alpha here, the cells were used for the worst criminals of the galaxy. Near the end of the prison's use, the criminals were used as subjects of experimental tests in their own cells."

"Not exactly the Federation's finest moment."

"It wasn't meant to be, Samus. Nonetheless, the experiments have been long since shut down and should be of no consequence. That is all. You two better get going – Ridley will be planning a counterattack as we speak."

Without further ado, the screen went black and the two bounty hunters' arm cannons retracted from the terminal simultaneously. Samus looked at Houston. "Experiments on humans and GF criminals?" Houston shrugged his Armstrong Houston shrug and made a gesture like 'after you, madame Aran." Samus went first, blasting the nav room's door open. She proceeded to the fork in the road that would follow soon after. Houston did the same.

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

Ridley was watching the security monitors of the light-security tunnels. Samus and Houston were walking right into the trap he'd set for them. If there was one thing about abandoned Federation outposts Ridley liked, it was the technology the Federation claimed to have 'destroyed' when the prison was taken out of commission. Only Ridley simply took the installation over, and the technology was ripe for the picking.

Deltha was standing at Ridley's side, his white lab coat a brackish gray due to all the digging around he'd been doing in the past. 

Ridley was both happy and infuriated. Samus and Houston had survived the surprise assault uninjured. Then again, all of his men were incompetent and couldn't use their superweapons to their fullest potential anyway. But what Ridley was so pleased about was the opportunity to finally use the experiments left behind by the Federation.

Deltha spoke first, choosing his words carefully. "What are you going to do about them? They still come on unfazed." Ridley snorted and turned away from the security monitors for only a few moments, smiling evilly at Deltha. "**Wouldn't you like to know? Samus and Houston have yet to face the full potential of the technology we've stolen. Take a look at this, oh ye of little knowledge.**"

Ridley punched up a visual of his plans on half of the overhead screens, and Deltha recognized them immediately. He lost control of his emotions and let out a terrible gasp. Ridley leaned in as Deltha tried to regain his composure. "**All with your help and research, my friend. Samus and Houston will die!**" With that, Ridley cackled and stormed off to his pirate officers to issue them new orders.

Deltha was frozen with fear. _'How could the Federation have obtained these plans? They weren't authorized or even desperate enough to –' _Deltha's greatest fears were confirmed as Ridley's laughter echoed in his head.

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

Samus and Houston came upon the fork in the dark tunnels without any resistance. Their footsteps were the only sounds in the area, and red wall lights were the only significant objects besides the two heavy blast doors of each branch of the tunnel.

Before Houston could ask, Samus answered his question. "I'll take the right, you take the left. Inspect each floor but hurry up. We need to meet up at the base of the cell block shaft." "Roger, boss." 

The two gave no more farewell until Houston was almost through his own door. "Samus?" Samus's reception was very weak, but they could hear each other. "Hm?" "Good luck." Samus considered, was Houston getting soft-hearted on her? Houston wasn't that much of a poof. "You too, Houston. Don't get all vertigo effect like before. Just concentrate on getting to the lowest level. Now go."

With that, the two bounty hunters split up completely and both the blast doors closed behind them with a loud whirr. 

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

**Not Long After . . . **

Samus was standing at the edge of a circular room, with a massive hole in it's floor, almost filling the entire room. The diameter of the hole was almost twenty feet wide as the walls of the hole extended down like an endless elevator shaft. "This must be the place." Samus spoke to herself and looked for anything resembling a lift down. 

Her answer was in a sturdy-looking circular platform hovering just above the open hole in the floor. It was a few feet away from the walls of the cell blocks, so Samus would only need a small jump to get on.

Samus only gave a small hop across the chasm and landed lightly on the platform. Above her, a light as large as the lift glowed faint but enough so Samus could see the details of the chasm. Moments after the light went on, the lift slowly descended down the chasm at about a foot per second.

"What an exciting, ride. . ." Samus grumbled at the apparent lack of action in the area, but welcomed not having to face a Kroban dragon at the moment. Samus studied the details of the cell shaft's walls. A door was engraved every few feet or so around the perimeter of the shaft. It looked like a pretty hard way to escape from one of the prison cells. Samus peered over the edge and confirmed her sensors readings that it was roughly 10,000 feet of complete nothingness before the ground would come up. 

Samus only relied on her visual aid through her visor, as she couldn't see the bottom of the shaft in the dim light. _'This isn't right. Something's going to happen, and I don't know what. C'mon Ridley – play your cards on the table. . .'_

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

"Wooooaaaah!! Okay, Houston. Gotta keep from looking down, gotta keep from looking down, gotta keep –" Houston was already on his own platform, descending down the prison cell shaft at a slow pace. As long as he didn't look down . . .

          Then Houston heard something open up a few meters above him, and the lift started increasing in speed. Houston was moving at least four feet per second when he looked up to the source of the sound.

          *                  *                  *                  *                  *

          Ridley jammed his claws down on the big red button on the console of the security panel. He cackled with laughter as he did so. Deltha felt like shutting the dragon up somehow, but he was watching the screen with Ridley in complete terror. A monster had been brought back from the dead.

          *                  *                  *                  *                  *

          The lights went full-blast and Samus could immediately see all around her, above and below to the ceiling and floor, 9000 feet below. Samus looked up just after adjusting to the abrupt acceleration of the lift. A single prison cell door opened up far above her. Nothing happened for a moment, but then Samus's memory was hit with a serious blow. 

          A fully-grown, pulsating metroid floated out, emitting a low-pitched chirp that Samus remembered all too well. It's greenish membrane flickered several times, revealing the reddish goo that was the metroid's brain. Samus's heart was beating as loud as ever. The metroid must have heard it, since it dove down to tackle her, emitting an angry series of chirps. _'What the heck? How . . .?' _Samus was stunned, even in the metroid's wake.

          Samus hesistated for only a moment, remembering the metroid hatchling she'd seen two years before. But this was real, and this was no metroid hatchling. Samus raised her arm cannon and fired an ice beam at the metroid. It hit home and froze the creature in mid-air. Samus switched to missiles while her brain was working furiously to figure out what the hell was going on. 

Five missiles hit the frozen metroid, although it was already thawing far more quickly than Samus's encounter with them in Tourian back on Zebes. The metroid shattered in a shower or ice shards, and Samus relaxed, trying to sort things out. _'Metroids? Here? How could Ridley possibly. . .?'_

'Too late to wait any longer. The last ten levels of cell block doors opened all at once, each one setting loose a fully-grown metroid. Samus raised her arm cannon and took careful note of her missile supply. She fired into the swarm of quickly descending and chirping metroids.

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

Keaton and Hardy were bored out of their minds, while the President had very little to vent his fury at. On board the _Excalibur_, the GF Central Command could do absolutely nothing to the planetary force field. "Keaton! Are you sure that you've investigated EVERY possibility?" The President was finally loosing his cool.

"Yes, Mr. President. We've –"

A minor officer at the comm. terminals interrupted them.

"Admiral Keaton! Two VERY LARGE and heavily-armed ships have dropped from hyperspace into orbit on the other side of the planet!"

"What?! On screen!"

Distantly, everyone on the bridge could see two huge carrier-like capital ships making their way around the planet's horizon to the GF fleet. Although they were only two ships, their sheer size intimidated the numerous GF fleet. "We're being hailed!"

"Accept it from them. Onscreen!"

On the main display was an android that looked either very tired or very unemotional. It spoke before Keaton could let out his pent-up energy. "Ships of the Galactic Federation, stand down. We are here to take care of the Pirates ourselves. If you do not return to the Alpha Centauri station, you will be destroyed."

Keaton muted the transmission for a moment to gawk at all of his crewmen on the bridge. Could they believe it? Two ships a tenth the size of the fleet demanded their presence terminated eitheir of two ways they saw fit! Keaton glanced at the President and the infuriated man gave him a slight nod with an angry glance.

Keaton turned the sound back on and responded. "Alien vessels! We will not be bossed around like inferiors by unidentified ships, nor will we be threatened! Stand down and state your purpose!"

The channel screen went blank, the aliens cutting off the transmission,  and returned to the visual of the two ships approaching the GF fleet's position. Keaton was about to order a red alert when over a hundred little green ships flew out of each capital ship and sped towards the GF fleet. They each started firing greenish laser beams at the fleet.

Keaton had only one universal order to the fleet before taking to battlestations. "SHIELDS UP!!! FIRE AT WILL!!!!"  


	13. Chapter 15: One Of Many Destinies

Chapter 15: One Of Many Destinies 

          Samus had fired her thirtieth missile into the metroid crowd, and the shrieking mass of creatures ceased to exist. In the midst of the elevator descending rapidly down the prison cell shaft, Samus was hunched over, exhausted from the precision aiming and timing. She had just come within inches of her life. Then the thought returned to her. _'What if Houston is doing the same things in the other shaft? Does he know what to do?'_

          Obviously, Houston should have, as the Federation briefed him once he was inducted into service with her. Samus could only hope that Houston had survived the trial. 

          - But the trial wasn't over yet. 

          *                  *                  *                  *                  *

          Houston had sustained minor damage from a reckless metroid, but it was only the last of the ten he had shattered into ice shards. His right shoulder was pounding with pain at the momentary armor breach. The suit sealed itself back off and Houston continued to look for a source of energy to restore his energy tanks.

          According to his helmet computer's math. He was roughly halfway down the pit. The elevator did not gain speed, and it seemed like things settled down again. "Phew! 'Time to take a breather."

          *                  *                  *                  *                  *

          "Sir! Are you sure that's a good idea? The whole installation –"

          "**Nonsense, you fool! We're completely isolated from that part of the prison! Just follow my orders!**" Ridley was not prepared to deal with his inferiors' insubordination, and his fiery eyes glowed a bright orange. His control officer took the hint, but not quite the way he intended. "But sir –"

"**I said take care of the rest! Take care of the –**" Ridley gave up and leapt over his officer's shoulders and jammed a clawed hand down on the second red button below the one he had previously slammed down. Deltha was nowhere to be found, but Ridley had more pressing issues to oversee. 

The security monitors surveying the prison blocks went nuts with siren lights. Warning sirens and klaxons blared throughout the installation. The Federation's long-lost secret was unleashed.

          *                  *                  *                  *                  *  

          Samus shot her head straight up the moment the sirens echoed throughout the tunnel, an annoying echo effect rolling through the metal walls. Row by row, floor by floor, each and every prison cell door opened up in unison. And out of every sing one of them, an orange-tinted metroid glided out and dove towards the steadily descending elevator. Shrieks and chirps filled the air, singing a song of death to the tune of the warning sirens.          

          "You have got to be kidding me! NO!!!"

Samus didn't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that the boundary of opening cell doors would catch up with her in no time. Samus returned to her deadly routine and aimed ice beams and missiles into the metroid clouds speeding towards her. Samus could only hope that she would reach the bottom before the metroids did. 

She didn't dare glance down to distract herself, as a clever metroid dove in and out of her plasma fire. It was gaining on her, within only a few meters. It shrieked in victory as it flew down on her right arm.

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

The battle above orbit was not going well. As large as the GF fleet was, the combined efforts of the galaxy's worlds could not stop two Kihunter Planetkillers. The swarms of Kihunter fighters did not seem to diminish, and they were eating away at the capital ships very slowly.

On board the flagship _Excalibur_, Keaton was overseeing the tactical situation. To be honest, this was one field of experience at which Keaton was qualified to dictate, even though he was just as merciless and ruthless in any other field. The President was tapping into his now panicked spy network to draw information about this unknown alien race.

The fight was not going well at all. "Sir! The Torizo fleet has suffered the loss of their carriers! Their flagship, the _Stormwing_ requests immediate cover within our formation!" The comm. officer could not keep on the report, and was forced to return to the voices and reports running through the primary fighter channels. 

Keaton responded with an equally occupied tone. "Permission granted – tell them to get the hell over here if they need help!" The comm. officer nodded as he listened in to the comm. frequency. With that, a violent eruption shook the _Excalibur_, and the main lights went out on the bridge.

The President was on board with a visual screen on his laptop, and didn't even seem to notice the change of lighting. Keaton was about to blast the nearest officer with orders for a report, but a response came in its own silence. As the red auxiliary lights went on in their place, another officer, a lieutenant, spoke up to the infuriated Keaton. "Sir! Main systems are offline – we took a hit to the primary reactor! Secondary systems are powering up!" 

Keaton watched the viewscreen from the reddish-black lighted bridge. The planetkillers were doing a graceful ballet around the Federation fleet, their clouds of fighters swarming around them as they moved, chewing up the Federation fleet like a swarm of locusts around a fatigued glomian blorff. The Federation had the raw power to take the planetkillers out, but nothing could get close enough to them in the haze of green insectoid fighters. 

Keaton brought up a holographic display of the battle in orbit. the GF fleet was a sitting duck as long as they let the planetkillers continue their circling effort. The President finally got off the laptop and bolted up to Keaton's side. "Did they tell you anything?" Keaton looked grim, and did not turn to the President, he only kept looking at the vivid display. The President seconded the motion. "Not much, but enough. We are fighting an advanced insectoid race known as the KiHunters. They have a potential force estimated much greater, but these two are the only ships in the area."

Keaton snorted. _'Buggers'_ He followed up with a dissatisfied grunt. "Any weaknesses, Richard?" The President shook his head. "The planetkillers are only vulnerable when they're using their main weapon. And from the looks of things, they probably won't have a need to. Their fighters are tearing us apart. We need a change in tactics."

For the first time in his life, Chairman Keaton of the Galactic Federation, didn't know what to do. The two leaders waited aboard the bridge as every ship in their fleet had their shields slowly weakened by the enemy fighter fire.

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

Deltha was alone at last, and with some technology no-one on the planet knew about. Deltha was in the highest level of the restricted section, looking for an escape hatch out. Instead, he found the reactor powering the orbital shield barrier. _'I suppose this will have to do; I hope Samus and Houston find me before Ki-Chac or Ridley do.' _Deltha looked around hastily and turned on his infared lenses on his glasses. Still nothing. Ki-Chac was nowhere in sight of both light waves.

Deltha played with a few buttons on the reactor, and placed a small data panel onto the surface of the metal pillar. It stuck to the surface like a magnet and the reactor suddenly stopped its melodramatic hum and shut down completely.

In orbit, the reddish shield barrier protecting the planet faded out of existence. Keaton and the other Federation commanders were about to issue orders at once, but then something unexpected interrupted them. Both them and the Kihunter fleet.

Ridley looked up from the security monitor on the surface. "**What da –**" 

Deltha was running all-out away from the reactor as it started humming again, and glowing a bright orange, then red-hot. The whole floor was being consumed by the heat of the reactor. Deltha found a green blast door and used a magnetic lock decoder to get inside. The door opened just as the reactor went terminal.

A fiery explosion rocked the installation, and a wave of fire and super-heated plasma burst towards Deltha's hiding place. He closed the door just in time to keep his flesh form being disintegrated. The door glowed bright gold for a moment, and then back to its natural green, the energy of the reactor blast not the same as required to open the door.

In orbit, a thick ray of yellowish light erupted from the surface of the installation. In an uncontrollable instant, the light ray burst through the atmosphere and vacuum of space in a concentrated beam and struck the first planetkiller head on. The whole capital ship disintegrated without retaliation. The light ray kept going through the first planetkiller and sliced right through the second, despite the evasive action it enacted to try to get out of the way. It was all in vain, though, as the second planetkiller was melted into slag. 

Not a second longer, the plasma ray ceased and the green fighters of the planetkillers froze dead in space. The battle was over, the KiHunters completely destroyed.

"Officer?! What the hell was that?!"

"That is unknown sir, but all the KiHunter ships have ceased altogether! It appears that they went dead with as soon as their mother ships were lost!"

"Understood!"

The bridge erupted in applause and cheering, as in each ship it was heard over the comm. channels. The President silenced it immediately.

"ENOUGH! We don't know what caused that energy attack! All ships enter orbit and land on the planetary spaceport immediately! Evasive maneuvers until then! MOVE!" Keaton grabbed hold of a railing as the entire _Excalibur_ hit a few G's moving from parked position to a dive into the planet's atmosphere like the rest of the fleet.

*                  *                  *                  *                  *

"**WHAT?! Deltha, how the bloody hell could that – Deltha?**" Ridley looked around him. His pirates backed away nervously. "**DELTHA?!**" He wasn't with the dragon, and neither was his first officer. "**_DELTHA! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!!_**" The dragon's deafening roar blasted the lower levels of the installation, the rage of the kroban pirate being unleashed. 

And where, in the midst of such action, were Samus and Houston?


	14. Chapter 16: Reinforcements

Chapter 16: Reinforcements 

            The sky that was once filled with an eerie reddish glow was now filled with two things that contradicted its previous weather patterns. The planet's sun had broken through the rain clouds on most of the planet, letting newfound sunshine warm the damp ground. Forge was no longer a planet of dark clouds, since a second force, however unnatural it was, aided the sunshine.

            Thousands of massive capital space ships entered the atmosphere from orbit at an alarming rate. In seconds, those thousands had landed in the many open caverns and fields surrounding the rocky fortress, and thousands more were coming in from orbit. Marines poured out from the platoon bays of the capital ships, and they flooded the caverns and fields of the open areas, setting up a defensive encampment.

            One of the chiefly larger capital ships came in close to the ground to land next to Samus's own ship, which was dwarfed by the colossal construct. An army of troops poured out from this ship as well, and secured the perimeter. A trio of humanoid figures emerged from the flagship, one distinctly taller than the other two.

            Amidst a crowd of marines and escorts, the three figures surveyed the planet briefly, but concentrated immediately on walking briskly towards Samus's ship. In response, a hatch on the top of Samus's ship opened up. A thousand blaster rifles focused on the hatch, in wait of a possible threat. Out came a single humanoid figure as well. Only this one was wearing what looked like a complete spacewalking astronaut suit. Its gold visor was down, but everyone well knew who it was underneath.

            The weapons trained their aim on the white-armored figure, who waved briefly towards the approaching trio of humans. The gathering replied by waving back just as curtly, not slowing their pace. The astronaut leaped down from the side of Samus's ship and hit the floor on both feet, firmly. The marines hesitated, but their commander-in-chief spoke to ease their minds. "At ease, men! This is an ally of Samus Aran and of Friend Deltha!" The marines quickly backed off, and paid their attention to the terrain around them, very aware of the need to be on alert.

            The astronaut figure approached the trio of representatives, and spoke to them in turn, though still under the watch of a few dozen marines. "Mr. President! You're still around, are you? How kind of you to drop by!" The alleged Mr. President was now only a few feet away from the astronaut, and shook the gloved hand firmly. The armored figure returned it, and the two broke the handshake. The rest but a few of the marines returned to searching the caverns for threats.

            The shorter of the two characters spoke next, with a high-pitched and assertive voice. "Guardian Alpha! You and Adam are no doubt here together. Where are Samus and Houston? Weren't they inside the ship when we last contacted each other before the planetary shield went up?" Alpha turned his visor to pan towards the shortest figure, whom Alpha recognized for his slightly inhuman build and greenish skin. "Chairman Keaton, you are correct. Samus and Houston were here in their briefing with you. They have entered the installation in search of Deltha and Ridley themselves. It has been a complicated time."

            Keaton was slightly taken aback, but regained his composure, and let his slightly taller assistant do the talking then. This one was only hairs taller, but clearly much rounder. Alpha remembered this human, as not too much wider than the last time he'd seen him. The 'fatter' one spoke to continue the conversation. "In that case, there is nothing more that we need other than you and a counsel with Adam Malkovich. The President and I, and Keaton, wish you to accompany us to the war room of our ship to plan the next attack on the pirates."

            Alpha simply nodded, and the quartet turned and walked at a normal pace towards the open bay doors of the capital ship. The Galactic Federation had arrived.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Things weren't looking good for Samus Aran. The horizon on opening cell cages was rapidly approaching her steadily descending platform. Rather, with the addition of dozens of orange metroids pouring into the elevator shaft, Samus had a lot more targets that didn't seem to die. Her freeze beam was doing the job, but the volume of metroid was becoming so overwhelming that Samus no longer had a frozen target to shoot at – more metroids would dive in front of her targeting reticule and give her something else to shoot at.

            Chirps and shrieks of hundreds of metroids filled the air, and the multitude of the horrible memories filled Samus's head. She could only wade in her pain and keep shooting. _This won't last for much longer… the wave of metroids is approaching my position too quickly. I have to get this thing to fall faster or –_ Then an idea struck Samus. The idea was at first unorthodox, but the Samus remembered she was wearing a reinforced power suit.

            _That's it! Samus thought, as she fired another charged ice/wave/plasma beam into the crowd of metroids, making way for more to come closer. _Falling faster! No time to get another idea…! _"HEY!" Samus shot a cluster ice missile at the group of metroids just feet away from her suit. The result was haphazard, but good enough. The flow of metroid was paused momentarily, the sound of chirping and frustrated metroids muffled behind the block of immobilized brethren. _

            Samus quickly sidestepped to the edge of the platform, which had only a few feet spacing between it and the walls of the circular shaft. Samus took a final look back up at the cluster of frozen metroid. They weren't frozen anymore and were diving madly down towards her position, even more angry than before. 

            The famous bounty hunter took a singly steep off the edge of the platform and dropped like a rock down the elevator shaft. He progress was aided by gravity, and this fact helped Samus. Samus looked above her in her fall to see the platform above her become devoured entirely by the mod of metroids. It slowed them down, and a few bumped into each other on the way down. Others kept on coming, but couldn't fly much faster than gravity could aid her.

            _Houston! You damn well better know when to quit making a fool of yourself and know when to retreat! You better not get killed in here! Samus kept her aim angled above her and started firing again, only this time with an awareness of her proximity sensors and how far she was from hitting the floor. Her heart pounded against her chest rapidly, knowing that certain death was chasing her indefinitely down the shaft._

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Houston, meanwhile, had his heart caught up in his throat, which was being accompanied by his stomach. He had run completely out of ammunition, and the freeze beam was ceasing to help him stop the tide of onrushing metroids. He fired a charged plasma/ice/wave beam at a daring metroid that had become too close for comfort, and it froze in mid-air like the rest of them. 

            Unaware that he was backing away from the metroid, and giving back some much-needed foot room, Houston continued firing upwards. His armed ached from the continuous effort, but it suddenly gave way to a much more unexpected feeling. Falling. Houston had stepped right back over the edge of the platform, and went into an accidental backspin somersault through the air.

            Houston was very unsure of what was going on, but could only hear and think about the heedlessly increasing sound of metroids approaching him, chirping insanely. Houston did the only thing he could think of – he effortlessly rolled into a ball in mid-air and released a power bomb. _One – two – three – _The countdown successful, as the power bomb exploded in a flash of light and plasma energy.

            Houston felt a small wave of heat energy pass by his energy suit, and heard the chirping noises pause for a span of maybe three seconds. "Phew. That didn't take very –" Houston rolled back out of his morphing ball and was back in a crouching position falling through the air. He looked up as he spoke, relieved, and stopped dead in mid-sentence.

            "- Long." The metroid had only been stunned temporarily, and were now diving down on him without the delay of his ice beam. Houston jerked his fatigued arm above his shoulders and continued pouring freezing plasma into his enemy. _Samus! Wherever you are – good luck!_

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Samus's proximity sensors at last release a hopeful alarm inside her helmet. "Warning! Velocity due to gravity will bring power suit to ground level in fifteen seconds! Warning! Unexpected power source emerging from the ground level!" Samus quickly shook a glance down below her, and her nerves shot a bit tighter than when she had first seen the metroid emerge from that first hatch.

            The ground floor of the shaft was indeed approaching, and blue doors were on all sides of the circular floor. But that wasn't the problem at all. It problem was quit e apparent; the floor was retracting into four sections of the wall to reveal a gigantic barrel of some sort of energy reactor, and it was glowing a bright lightning blue. It was exposed to the open elevator shaft, and looked like the energy inside might blast upwards for the sky. _Damn! Caught between a pack of metroids and a dead place! Gotta get those doors open in time for me to – NO! _

            A trio of metroids, metroids that had taken advantage of her pause, interrupted Samus's thoughts. Her arm cannon was still aimed upwards, but her freeze beam was unusually switched off. It took a few precious seconds to switch back, but the metroids were on her in no time. One started chomping on her arm cannon, another on her backside, and a third on her left shoulder.

            "Warning! Power suit integrity at 60%! Warning! Unexpected power source estimated to discharge in eight seconds!" Samus felt the stinging pain of the metroids all over her body, and she had to act quickly to pull the whole thing together. She rolled into a morph ball despite the forces from all three metroids on her, and activated a power bomb. The metroid held on for the next three seconds, draining more energy from her reserves, but were blown back by the following blast.

            The metroids released Samus from their grip, and the wash of power bomb energy caught all four blast doors below her, yet only manage to open one of them. "Four… Three… Two…" Samus didn't have time to switch back from her morphed position and aimed her fall towards the open doorway with what little strength she had left in her weight. This time, she wasn't sure if she'd make it in time.

            "One."

     *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Ridley was both furious and overexcited at the same time. On over a hundred screens of his security monitors showed the landed GF fleet setting up a defensive camp in preparation of the infiltration of his installation. On a lonely two screens of the many inside the installation itself displayed the two elevators shafts where Samus and Houston were doomed to die from metroids and a buster cannon.

            Ridley turned the power off on those two individual screens before the action peaked, and turned to face his commanders. "**Loyal officers of my veteran roughriders! Samus and Houston have been obliterated once and for all!**" Ridley thrust a large, red, clawed hand into the air in a victory pose, and the dozens of other officers followed his movement without hesitation. A roar of both hisses and growls echoed throughout the room. Not one suspected that their fearless and deadly leader was wrong, or capable of such a quality. 

            Ridley continued, with his claw still clenched into a fist in the air. "**My archenemy has finally met her match with our manipulation of metroid DNA as well as the technology we have salvaged from those nations that could not or did not use it well enough! With the most mischievous part of our planning out of the way, we can proceed to final stage of our plan!**" More hisses of victory and anxiety from Ridley's officers. He grinned evilly in full confidence of his words and luck.

            Ridley turned and gestured to the thousands of screens covering the control room's walls that showed the GF fleet encamped on the perimeter of the caverns. "**We will now destroy what is left of the GF fleet now encamped here! I will lead the war party myself! Companies A, C, and E will join me in the Eastern caverns. Company B will cover the Northern cavern, and Company D will cover the Southern cavern. The heavy artillery and weaponry has met production rates, and we will overpower the initial GF fleet!**

**            "Once our troops are in place, Shadow Company led by Ki-**" Ridley stopped in mid-sentence. His first officer was not at the meeting, for Ki-Chac had apparently disappeared about the same time Deltha had. _That damned bug-bag! He stole my hostage from me and took him back to the rest of the Kihunters! … No… Their ships are not in orbit anymore… _The cogs in Ridley's cunning brain turned and churned like clockwork in the middle of his speech, and his officers dared not ask him what was wrong in the long silence. 

            _He took Deltha from me to bargain a way out with the GF, and pose as a defector! He'll pay for this… but who to lead Shadow Company?_ Ridley went down the list of officers in his head and filled in the blank as best he could. "**Ahem… As I meant to say, Shadow Company will be led by Lieutenant Commander Garvanak." The space pirate armored with a green scaly armor appeared slightly surprised, but regained its composure quickly as to meet the its growing pride of the promotion. Ridley smiled as he continued. "**Shadow Company will remain in their designated position and wait until I give them the signal. Once done, they will activate the device, and our plans will be complete. Any questions, scumbags?**" **

            The band of space pirates at the time was just smart enough not to ask for directions a second time with the red dragon, and snickered in their own way, a pirate's political response for a 'no.' Ridley grinned even wider, and shouted out over his men, "**Good! Then let's move out, everyone! Assemble your armies and meet with me at the main floor of the installation!" Movement started, but Ridley made sure it was the best it could be. ****"Did you hear me?! I SAID MOVE THE HELL OUT!" At that, all the remaining pirates that were taking their time got off their feet and sped towards their designated areas.**

            Not long after the room cleared out, Ridley breathed out a very relieved sigh. He glanced at one of the screens that showed the view from a cavern looking out at Samus's ship parked in a pack of capital ships. _They won't even see it coming. Keaton and his capital ships…_Ridley snorted superiorly and stormed out of the room, leaving it empty.  The two black screens were quite noticeable yet Ridley didn't even bother turning them back on to see what had become of Samus and Houston.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Samus had dropped just inside the doorway while in her morphing ball barely ahead of the ground cannon's discharge. The pack of orange metroid was just second behind her, and curved around to follow her through the open doorway. Her power suit computer told her she was out of time on the moment of her landing. 

            A great rumbling shook the floor, and Samus struggled to get to her normal crouched position on her feet. The ground quaked like no other time, except perhaps the time Zebes was shaking up from a self-destruct sequence. Samus only inched her muscles a little further ahead into the dimly lit room, but her ears were filled with the sound of a volcano erupting right behind her.

            A light on the other side of the dark room opened up, and another humanoid figure crouched in its doorway, and a cell shaft much like the one behind Samus was visible, also lit up with the blue lightning of the cannon. The blast of sound waves followed the eruption of pure lightning energy released into the air of the cell shaft. Samus didn't have to glance behind her – the cell shaft across the room beyond was filled instantly with an energy flux that shot upwards in the air like a beacon of light.

            Samus could hear faint shrieks of the metroids' deaths beneath the blast of the discharge. The sound quickly dulled when the blast doors closed on either side of the dark room. The rumbling was the only feeling that was left, and Samus raised her arm cannon to aim at the humanoid figure in front of her.  Samus broke the silence, and turned her infa-red visor on. "Whoever you are, lower your weapon and reveal yourself!"

            The room quickly lit up with a dozen lights on its ceiling, and Samus no longer had a need to use her visor. A bluish chozo suit was crouched on the other side, next to a blue blast door. Its left hand was in the air, and its arm cannon aimed up behind its helmet. Another voice emerged from the helmet, however raspy and breathing hard, and came in on Samus's comm. frequency. "You got me, boss. I surrender." 

            Samus lowered her arm cannon, and chuckled to herself. "Houston, you cowboy. Let me guess: you were chased by metroids and you lost your step… did you accidentally fall down a prison cell shaft and manage to find your way in here?" Houston lowered both his armored arms at his sides, his green visor nodding meekly. "Yeah. How'd you guess?"

            A third voice joined the conversation from one of the walls between them. "She was bright enough to figure out that Ridley had planned to separate the two of you into very deadly traps." The computerized voice startled Samus, and Houston jumped in surprise as well. It then occurred to Samus where the two of them were – in a Navigation Room. And the voice that they heard was one she had heard many times in such computer rooms.

            The screen on the wall between them lit up and a whole family of familiar faces flooded the screen. One voice still came through the computer speakers. "I'm… We're so relieved you made it through to the NAV room all right. Alpha and I monitored the computer systems once Ridley had forgotten about us and we watched via the camera system."

            Samus and Houston came shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the screen to recognize the faces better. A tall, fair-complexion middle-aged man stood in a business suit whom Samus recognized to be the President of the World's Congress. On both sides of him were Galactic Federation officials Samus and Houston recognized almost at once. The shortest of the four faces there was Keaton, the Chairman of the GF who resembled a tonberry from the stories Houston used to tell her.

            On the other side of the president was a slightly taller yet much more round assistant, and was the two bounty hunters' chief officer. Hardy, as he was known, ate more than anyone else in the department, and certainly more often. His cubby face was only equaled by the size of his stomach, and maybe the array of blaster pistols on a belt beneath his blast vest. The Chief of Galactic Federation Police was dressed for war, and Samus was, for a change, impressed.

            The fourth figure in the group was also a familiar face, or rather, a familiar appearance. The humanoid was almost two meters tall, wearing a white suit of astronaut armor complete with its gold solar visor. The artificial intelligence known as Alpha was alive, or what it passed for as alive, and well, taking up guard just behind the President. The robotic guardian also had a good view over the shoulder of the Commander-in-Chief. 

            The president spoke first, breaking the heroes' silent reunion. "Samus Aran and Armstrong Houston. I can't tell you how pleased and relieved we are to see you alive. When Adam told us about the trap Ridley set for you, we could only count of both your cunning wits and reflexes. Have you found either Friend Deltha or Ridley yet?"

            Samus spoke as best she could, for her answer was not too hopeful. "Negative, Mr. President. Deltha is presumed still with Ridley and his commanders, and his current health is unknown. As for Ridley, I presume Adam would have a better time tracking a creature as big as a dragon than I could – despite the experience I've had in dealing with Ridley in the past."

            The President's smile faded, and his face went a little morose, concerned. "That is bad news, Samus. I am sure, though, that we will give you all the help we can in finding the dragon – so long as Deltha returns to our encampment on the surface alive. Is that understood?" Keaton had to live though all of this, writhing inside because of his command being taken away from him by _his_ superior officer.

            Samus and Houston both nodded in unison. "Understood, sir. We'll keep in touch." Samus checked her list of friends there, and decided to let Alpha in on the conversation, who had his armored arms crossed across his chest. "Alpha? How are you doing? Has Keaton been treating you properly up there?" Alpha uncrossed his arms and spoke with his monotonous computer tone, but it bore a slight hint of amusement. 

            "I'm fine, Samus. Thank you. Keaton is behaving himself much better than he has than in the years I last knew him to be in command," Keaton writhed inside once more, very aware that everyone was ripping on him. "he's doing fine. The President has made me a General, in command of the infiltration and defense of the installation and encampment respectively. Your Federation has grown greatly and impressively since I last checked."

            Samus didn't quite know what to say to that, and decided it was enough talk and time to get back to work – since Ridley and Deltha both were somewhere in the installation with them. "Well, Mr. President, Keaton, Hardy, Alpha: we all have a lot of work to do ahead of us. We might as well get started. Adam, do you have a route to the next NAV room for us?"

            A slight pause came over the speakers, but Adam's clear and English accented voice came through. "Yes, m'lady. The next NAV room will be your last. From there, you should be dangerously close to Ridley's lair. Your power suit computers will be uploaded with completely updated maps, courtesy of Alpha himself. Good luck, you two. Adam out."

            And without any more goodbyes, the screen and speakers went dead, leaving the two bounty hunters in an abandoned installation once more.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Deltha was in a very unusual position. Ever since he blew the reactor core of the installation's shield generator, he'd been hiding inside a safe house room of sorts. The green shielding of the blast door held back the blazing furnace on the other side, keeping Deltha trapped in the single room. The blast had long since settled down, but the door was still locked with a green shield on his side.

            _Well, I might as well see what's inside this room. _Deltha looked around at the room's interior, the first time since he'd entered. It looked like the remains of an old storage room, with small tanks in the center of the room. _Power suit energy and missile supplies. Still doesn't help me… Deltha kept looking around, not really caring if Ridley or Ki-Chac were looking for him or not. He looked up at the ceiling, which was unusually low. Deltha made a small jump and reached for the ceiling. Even he could touch it easily._

            Something caught Deltha's attention. When his fingers touched the plating on the ceiling, the plating lifted a few inches before resting back on the framework. If there was room for the plate to inch off the edges, there was intentionally enough space for a person. _A loose plate! It might lead to an emergency hatch! Deltha's heart rate quickened and Deltha jumped again, this time aiming to dislodge the plating._

            It worked. The plating bounced off the framework and was carried to the side by Deltha's fingers. It landed a few inches off the frame and left Deltha some room to grab on to. Deltha paused before making another jump, trying to keep his heavy breathing under control so he could hear. He heard scratching at the other side of the blast door; Rabid, constant scratching. Deltha knew the sounds of thousands of creatures in the universe, and this one was not in his memory. If he couldn't remember it, it was something new. And something new meant… 

            Deltha didn't hesitate any longer and jumped for the open edge of the framework. His hands caught easily on the smooth metal workings, and his nudged aside the plating as he pulled himself into the ceiling of the empty room. Even from his perch, Deltha could hear the frequency and volume of the scratching increasing. Deltha didn't look down; he looked up above him. He was relieved to have his guess fulfilled.

            It was an emergency hatch indeed, complete with faint red emergency lights along the shaft, and had a thin, rickety metal ladder running up the walls of the shaft. Deltha grabbed hold of the ladder, and started climbing, fast. 

            It took only seconds for Deltha to hear the door in the room meters below him explode open with a dulled whirr that it usually emitted when it opened. Deltha heard hisses and incessant chattering far below him – it only made him climb the ladder even faster. The ladder shook as if another heavier object was following him up it. Deltha reached the very top of the hatch and pulled the level back needed to open it hastily.

            The hatched slide aside and Deltha crumpled over the edge, pushing back a level next to the door of the hatch, now on the floor. The door slid shut, and the hissing and chattering ceased completely. Deltha lay his back against a wall near the hatch, and breath a sigh of relief. 

            Without warning, Deltha felt a sharp edge throttle him against the wall by the neck, cutting his throat ever so slightly. Deltha didn't fight it less he get even more cut up. Before his eyes, the rainbow colors emerged in the shape of a large insect, a Kihunter. The heavy prismatic armor of the pirate commander absorbed what little light the white lights of the safe room emitted. Ki-Chac hissed in Deltha's face and leaned up close to him, still managing to throttle Deltha completely. The superior psychic voice entered Deltha's mind once more. 

            _I've been waiting so long for this moment, Deltha. All your plans of escape and mischief have come to an end. How does it feel to be outsmarted by a 'bugger'? _Deltha didn't have to reply via his throat, since it was in an unhealthy position anyway. His own psychic thoughts replied, in a relaxed, defiant tone. _Ki-Chac, you are and always will be overconfident. The situation is hopeless. Ridley won't trust you, the Federation knows about the Kihunters' hostility, and your own mother ship come to pick you up has been destroyed._

The reminder didn't do much to quench Ki-Chac's hunger for despair. The Kihunter squeezed a little hard with its razor-sharp claws. _Wrong, puny human. I don't need a mother ship to escape. You, however, will not escape me. Goodbye Deltha._

And with that, the tightness of the vicegrip on Deltha's throat increased, and Deltha began to black out entirely.


	15. Chapter 17: Regreso

**Chapter 17: Regreso**

The deadly vice grip on Deltha's throat became excruciatingly unbearable, and Deltha's vision began to black out. Ki-Chac's final thoughts flooded Deltha's mind. _You are a mere loose end, the last thing standing in my way to finishing the Federation_. _Goodbye, President Deltha_. Deltha was unable to speak a response in defiance to the death sentence, but he could still think. His own mental response was sent to his tech eyewear. A circular red lens with a thin steel ring framing it clicked into place on Deltha's left glasses lens. Ki-Chac did not even notice…

            A sudden and radiant flood of widespread plasma energy blasted from Deltha's red lens, catching Ki-Chac completely off guard. Ki-Chac was blown back off of Deltha, and was flying through the air an instant later. The blast continued only as long as Ki-Chac was caught in his upward motion, and the red energy cascade ceased abruptly. The reddish glow of the enclosed room faded just as quickly, and Deltha had begun his first intake of oxygen.

            Deltha's eyes were open the entire time, and he knew for sure Ki-Chac was gone. Indeed, as soon as the flaring light ended its illumination, Ki-Chac simply disappeared, leaving not even the slightest trace of ashes or a death throe. It all happened so quickly.  

            Deltha was breathing heavily and slowly, massaging his throat carefully. Time proceeded on its slow pace, or rather Deltha simply lost track of time. Deltha had no witty comment or finishing phrase to end the memory of the murderous Kihunter. 

            Deltha got to his feet slowly, the veins in his throat and fingers were throbbing violently, as was his heart. Deltha's head was pounding, the rhythmic bass noise erupting inside his mind as he tried to decide what to do next. 

            "It's not very bright in here… 'time to put some light on the subject." Deltha activated a powerful flashlight from his glasses, flooding the room with a full bloom of white light. "And…" The room was very empty, and very small. The ceiling was only six feet above the floor, and the walls had no visible details save for… 

            "What's this?" Deltha approached a conspicuous spot on the wall to his left. It looked like a small squarish depression in the bluish metal. It had a lone eroded button embedded in the chrome plating, as if it had never been used or touched for years. 

            _Well, I'm not going to get out of here by not doing anything. Open Sesame!_

Deltha jammed his right thumb into the darkened touchpad, which barely moved to his command. Nothing happened.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Sir! We've detected seismic movement in the Engineering Level 3!"

            "What? That's the sector right in front of us! HEADS UP EVERYONE!!!"

            The company of four dozen some space marine crowded into the metal-cavernous hybrid of a hallway, and set themselves up in a defensive, barricade-like formation. They all aimed their weapons and artillery at the blank metallic wall in front of them.

            "Sir! The readings are at least on an eight-point-oh scale!" The small and scrawny private was rambling on about how ginormously huge the readings were becoming. The company Sergeant cut him off, raising his voice for the entire brigade to hear.

            "Alright already! ALL RIGHT MEN! THIS COULD BE THE BATTLE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR, SO SIT TIGHT!!!"

            Then the marines began to feel what the readings were telling them. 

            The ground shook violently as if a hundred nuclear warheads had exploded a few miles below the surface, and many small rocks and dust came loose from the natural passageway. The noise was abruptly violent and omnipresent, the sound of a million explosives going off in their ears. The ground wouldn't stop shaking, and several marines fell over from their unbalanced positions. 

            But everything suddenly stopped, and all was deathly silent. 

            "LOCK AND LOAD!!!"

            The sound and whirring of possibly hundreds of gauss rifles, rocket launchers and wave cannons affirmed the command previously given. Everyone waited in anxious anticipation of the coming battle. 

            The wall opened up by sliding into the cavernous walls, not emitting a single sound. "READY!!!"

            The darkness beyond was absolute. "AIM!!!" Flashlights from all the combined firepower destroyed the black void. 

            Standing before them, shielding his eyes from the radiant chorus of lights, was President Deltha.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Um, Samus? What the heck was that?" Houston asked nervously.

            Samus looked up at the ceiling, where most of the earthquake-like action was coming from. She shook her head. "I don't know, but it probably has something to do with the Federation. They could have started the final battle…"

            "**Or they could have created the biggest spoof in galactic history! HA HA HA HA HA!"** The raspy, cackling laugh was dangerously familiar, and it originated from the onscreen speakers. Both bounty hunters whirled around to see Ridley, their archenemy, boring down an evil stare upon them from the viewscreen. 

            "**Lady and Gentleman, how sweet. You both look dressed for the occasion. HA!" **Ridley let out a single snort, and Samus could feel her fingers tightening into a fist. "SHUT UP, RIDLEY!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH DELTHA?" Ridley continued to grin rather confidently. 

            "**Oh, little Sammy wammy doesn't want to talk with the big bad bully wully? HA HA HA HA HA!"** Ridley seemed to be a little off key, but his complete casual act really go to Samus – Houston, too. Houston felt like firing a blast at the screen and ending the conversation right there, but knew Ridley had a reason for contacting them.

            Rildey finally stopped laughing from his self-fabricated joke, and then proceeded to stare at them with an evil, reflectively thoughtful look. "**Really, Ms. Aran, I would think you would know the answer to that question…**" 

            Samus couldn't stand Ridley's games. "DON'T PLAY WITH ME RIDLEY!!! IF YOU DON'T TELL ME…"

            "**You'll… what? Exactly. But really, Ms. Aran, you don't have to be so rude about asking me. Can't we have a pleasant conversation before I kill you and your brother?**" Samus was fuming, and said nothing. "**Very well then – THANK you, Ms. Aran…**" Ridley took a full five second straightening his face out from his hilarious posture to his face-contorting thoughtful look, mimicking an English scholar.

            "**Come now, Ms. Aran, this is pointless. Oh bother, you don't know – DO YOU? HA! Quite, honestly, I don't have the slightest idea where the little dwarf is, either. 'Probably killed accidentally by one of my traitorous minions. Now I get to ask you a question… HA… ha ha…**"

            Samus didn't want to believe Ridley, as this was probably just one of his games, but a part of her believed the desperately talkative side of Ridley. "Fine. One question."

            "**What color swimsuit 'you wearing underneath that thing?**"

            Samus didn't so much as blush an inch, and she didn't seem to process the flood of cackling laughter that followed.

            Another voice entered the conversation.

            "I am here, Samus Aran, and I am safe and sound!"

            Ridley's face exploded with surprise and defeat, "**WHAT?! NO!**" Ridley's image went off the air, and the image of the bridge of the _Excalibur_ flooded the screen. Deltha, Alpha, Keaton, Hardy, the President, and several hundred space marines were all crowded into the bridge of the great flagship.

            "Deltha!"

            "He's fine, Samus – we're about to –"

            Then the image went off the air, ruining the victorious moment. 

            The sound was cut off as well. The room went black, its light out.

            The screen was filled with static, not emitting its annoying crackling noise. 

            Ridley's voice filled the void. "**SAMUS ARAN!**** I WILL _KILL YOU!!!!_**"

            Then the screen went black, and the bounty hunters were in complete darkness.


	16. Chapter 18: Sin Luz

**Chapter 18: Sin Luz**

"What's going on? Why have we lost communications with Samus?" The President of the Galactic Federation was pacing rapidly across the _Excalibur's bridge. Keaton, the greenish alien and chairman of the Galactic Federation, couldn't keep his superior officer calm, instead choosing to stare dumbfounded at the static-filled viewscreen._

            The President stopped and turned around to look at his completely silent company. "Well? I asked a question - am I going to wait until communications magically come back online to get an answer?" The marines and ship officers were deathly silent and looking back at him with blank stares. One of the individuals in the crowd onboard broke the silence.

            "I believe that Ridley has cut communications of all kinds to isolate Samus from our assistance, Mr. President." The man who spoke up was small and stocky in comparison to the space marines that stood around him. He wore a pair of eyeglasses that looked far too standard issue for a typical lab scientist, and they complimented his white lab coat and sleek grey slacks.

            "Deltha: the quarry of our rescue mission. You have taken Samus and Houston's place in our mission status. What do you think Ridley will do next?" The President was now looking straight at Deltha, as were the rest of the crew.

            "Mr. President," Deltha started to explain, "While being held captive under Ridley's officers, I learned an awful lot about Ridley's behavior and reactions under a combat situation. Ridley was not expecting us to show up. He was equally surprised to find the planetary shield shut down as he was to hear us interrupt his… conversation with Samus and Houston. Whenever Ridley was surprised to this degree -"

            "CEO Deltha, could you please get to the point? We need to know what course of action to take - Samus and Houston's lives depend on it!" It was not the President who interrupted, but Chairman Keaton. Deltha looked thoroughly offended at the interjection and continued, this time in a matter-of-fact tone, looking right at Keaton.

            "I wasn't _aware_, Keaton, that you ever had Samus or Houston's best interests at heart. _If _I'm not mistaken, _Chairman," The last word had a big emphasis, as Deltha was clearly denouncing Keaton's supposed support. "Was it not __you that dismissed Samus Aran from her post for __doing her job?" _

            Several marines and crewmen did not know this, and many kept to themselves, while others cast quick glances at Keaton, whose greenish skin was turning a wicked shade of puce. Keaton was ready to explode on Deltha. "You have no idea what Samus was responsible for in her past commitments! She was out of order and made repeated counts of insubordination! _YOU, HOWEVER-"_

            The President came between the two and shouted above both arguing voices. "ENOUGH! It is a common goal for all of us to preserve the lives of our soldiers, as well as to preserve the law and justice throughout Federation space. _All_ of us have this commitment; _All _of us. Keaton…Deltha…"

            Both opponents took a long hard gaze at each other and then broke the staring contest to give the President their full attention, as did all the others on the bridge of the _Excalibur_. The President let out a deep-felt sigh and spoke out to everyone. "Now: Can someone please tell me what our next move should be?" Deltha was about to speak up again, but once again, an unexpected voice answered. 

            "Ridley would be pleased as punch to see us sticking our fingers up each others' noses in argument – he went on the air to buy himself time." It was Alpha, whose white armor was glimmering slightly in the onboard lights of the vessel's bridge. Everyone in the room except Deltha jumped a little at his joining the conversation, just remembering that Alpha, too, was also in the same room.

            "Ridley isn't going to be happy about ruining has plan so many times, so he's gonna take his revenge out on Samus and Houston. We also don't know the current location of his missing contingent of space pirates. For all we know they could-" Keaton felt obliged to speak up against the artificial intelligence, as it seemed to be Keaton's role in life. 

            "Alpha, I presume? You are one of Deltha's…creations?"

            The gold visor on Alpha helmet panned in Keaton's direction.

            "Yes. What's your point, Keaton?"

     Keaton was a little startled at Alpha's _not _addressing him as Chairman, but by his first name. He continued, sounding a little nervous and angry at the same time. "And you know the layout of the installation thoroughly, yes?"

            "Keaton, if you're asking-"

     "What I'm asking, _Alpha, is why we should trust you." Complete silence. Deltha was shocked and turning a little red. Keaton continued unchallenged. "You spent many years in the abandoned prison, yet when the installation fell under attack, it's security officers mysteriously died without much of a fight. What's more, you even survived the attack without contacting the Galactic Federation Headquarters. We received no news of an alarm. Do you see where I'm going with this, Alpha?"_

            Alpha didn't move a millimeter, and Deltha walked over to his side to back him up. Keaton glared at the two as they faced off against Keaton and his suspicions. 

            "Perhaps you can explain how you remained intact after the battle – or did you even fight during the battle? Why aren't those men alive now? _How has Ridley, the current leader of the space pirates, entered your installation without you even detecting them? There are too many unanswered questions, and the Federation isn't risking another costly gambit by counting on the unproven allegiances of its allies!"_

            The last part many in the room didn't catch on to. Several of the non-human crew members gave Keaton suspicious looks of their own. The President was sitting at the captain's seat with his head in his hands. The space marines were silent. 

            Hardy was the only one moving, for he was nearly oblivious to tradition and continued to feed his face with a twelve-foot sub sandwich. He spoke after swallowing a mouthful. "What are you talking about, Keaton? The Federation hasn't taken any costly risks, and its allies are as trustworthy as Samus Aran-" 

            The analogy was exactly was Keaton was waiting for._ "MY POINT __EXACTLY. Samus Aran is NOT-" Hardy took control, though, before Keaton could make things worse. "Keaton – I think you've missed your coffee break. How about a couple hours in the hot tub? We'll take care of things here."_

            Keaton stopped in mid-sentence and gave Keaton a blank, bug-eyed look. He sputtered out a pathetic "What?" Hardy motioned his hands towards the President, who was looking up, but looking very distressed and tired as well. "How about it, Mr. President? Do you think Keaton's been working the graveyard shift for far too long?" 

            The President smiled half-evilly and gave Keaton a partly reassuring smile, motioning his space marines to carry out his orders, "Sure… Keaton, I order you to take a twelve-hour break in the lounge. Take a load offa. Get some sleep. You've had a long day." Keaton looked around at everyone on the bridge. Everyone was smiling half-compassionately, half-evilly at him, except for the space marines, who were rumbling their way towards him. One even winked at him.

            "What?" was all he let out as he was carried out of the bridge.

            Several minutes later, Alpha and Hardy had arranged a lightning assault team together to get Samus and Houston out, while taking care of Ridley and his space pirates. Alpha insisted on leading the strike team himself, despite the warning Deltha gave him about the last time Alpha had a run-in with space pirate technology. 

            "Don't worry, Deltha. I'll come back… alive."

     "Well, as long as you're sure. You've always come back every time you signed on for a mission voluntarily." Alpha saluted Deltha and the President, raising his golden visor as was militarily appropriate. The two humans saluted back and dropped their arms.      The President called out to Alpha as the AI approached the exit. "Come back within three hours with Samus and her brother. After that, we can't risk giving Ridley any more time to escape. Three hours, Commander. Good luck."

            "Thank you, Mr. President – I won't be late."

     Alpha was just joining the rest of the space marines in the elevator lift when Deltha called out to his creation one last time. "Please be careful, Alpha!"

            Alpha nodded inside his armor. As the lift door sealed shut, Alpha began to brief his soldiers on their primary and secondary objectives.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Samus and Houston were standing in complete darkness.

            _Lights on.__ Samus thought. Her suit's visor glowed with a greenish hue and a night-vision screen lit up her eyesight. "Houston? You all right?" She turned to see Houston's visor had done the same thing._

            Houston waved back at her cheerfully. "I'm all right boss. Think we ought to move out?"

            Samus nodded and motioned him to follow her, towards the nav room's door in front of her. She lowered her voice, "Use radio frequencies, we don't want to create any noticeable noise in these tunnels." A brief pause followed, then Houston's cheery voice came in through her helmet communicators. "Roger, boss. I got your back."

            Samus blasted the door with her wave beam, and door opened up with a painfully loud whirring noise. Samus flinched lightly. _Reminds me too much of the broken silence of Crateria before I alerted its security systems…_Samus thought.

            The two bounty hunters exited the nav room and entered one of the prison cell shafts. It was pitch black, without a single light anywhere. The door made an equally loud sealing noise as it closed behind them. _Open doors are becoming too loud to – wait…_

            Samus remembered at once the danger she faced in the shaft mere minutes ago. The floor was stable, and as slippery as polished glass. Their feet made a light tinkling noise at each step. Samus froze. Houston did the same. "What's up, Boss?"

            "Houston – _quiet_." 

            Samus listened hard as she remembered the chase scene in the shaft. She listened for what seemed to be hours. She could hear her pulse throbbing throughout her body. Her quiet breaths were magnified in volume, and the humidity of her rising body temperature started to gather in her suit. She couldn't smell anything. She couldn't hear a single soul besides her own heartbeat. 

            Samus was listening hard for the only sound that had always broken the silence.

            It never came. The eerie and curious _chirp_ of the metroid did not enter Samus's ears. She waited a few second longer.

            "Uhhh, boss. I don't think there's anything here." Houston sounded a little unsure, and a little reassuring.

            Samus's muscles relaxed and she continued across the floor, treading lightly. She motioned Houston to follow her across the circular shaft. She blasted open the door again, and entered the next room.

            It was a long and seemingly unending metal hallway. Even with her night vision activated, Samus could not see much further than ten feet into the tunnel. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all rusted metal plating, and darkness flooded the hall incredibly deeply, like an opaque black fog.

            "Boss? Aren't we trying to get back to the surface?"

            "What? And leave Ridley here to escape _again? No. It's time Ridley's life ended here, once and for all."_

            "Do you think this tunnel will lead us to him?"

            "I don't know, but it's better than going up."

            "Lead the way, boss."

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Sir! Charlie Zone clear!"

            "Sir, We have an all-clear on this floor."

            "That's all the sectors in this quadrant. No signs of pirate activity."

            "That is affirmative sir."

            "Sargeant, do you sense anything…unusual in this installation?"

            "Yes sir. The place is messed up, sir. Not a damn living thing, and none of the equipment besides the doors works."

            "The power has been deactivated, even auxiliary power. Deltha's gamble with the shield reactor didn't remove our communications. Ridley must have wrecked the controls in the experimental labs."

     "Should we make for the Restricted Area, sir?"

            "Yes, but not directly. If we take the hidden exit as our entrance, we should be able to surprise Ridley and his pirates."

     "Which quadrant should we head towards, sir?"

            "Tertiary quadrant. Move out!"

     "Sir? That quadrant is-"

     "You heard the commander! MOVE OUT!"

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Things were not going right. Things were not going right at all.

            Ridley was having possibly the worst time of his life. Well, actually, it competed with days of much similarity on past encounters with the persistent ***** herself, Samus Aran. His day was going down the drain.

            First of all, Ridley stole plans from AlphaTech for a horde of prototype weaponry. Samus and the Federation showed up, and dashed all hopes of getting away clean. He took AlphaTech's CEO / President, Deltha, hostage and broke out of the orbital factory. 

            Secondly, Ridley dug in for a long siege in his prison fortress, yet Samus and Houston managed to restore power and run into that cursed ancient automaton. At least then he still had backup plans. He destroyed the automaton with Deltha's own weaponry, eliminating the lesser of three evils.

            But that wasn't enough for the queen of all hunters. Ridley lost both his first officer and his only hostage in a matter of minutes. What was more, the Federation showed up with a fully complimented fleet, and the KiHunters brought two planetkillers to boot. Fortunately for Ridley, he was expecting something like this.

            The two deep-space forces battled each other while Ridley set up a planetwide shielding from his installation. The Federation looked beaten, and the KiHunters appeared as little more than a minor nuisance, with the planetary shield rendering the planetkillers' weapons null.

            Then something happened that Ridley should have expected – a change of fate he didn't at first expect. The shield reactor went kablooey and the resulting energy discharge destroyed both planetkillers before they could finish the GF fleet off. The resulting lack of orbital defenses left the planet open to invasion, which is exactly what the Federation was thinking. 

            It turned out that Deltha had escaped, but Samus and Houston were on their way into another trap. Metroids and beam cannons. Samus should have died. It was the perfect trap. Ridley didn't quite understand the details, but he understood he goofed big time. Deltha and Alpha both appeared to be intact and well, _both aboard the Federation flagship_, and Samus and Houston were still snooping around his stronghold.

            Now, without power, without a definite plan, and without a sufficient number of pirates to combat a Federation Marine expedition, Ridley was running out of ideas. He had prepared for every possible misfortune, and he didn't remember the Mother Brain pulling out this many stops in her plan.

            But Samus would die, and the Federation would fail. Ridley would escape. He always escaped, whether Samus thought he was dead or not. But first thing first.

Sorry if I haven't been writing in a while – school's been keeping me far too busy. I'm sure this will keep you all busy for a few minutes. Don't worry, the end is in sight. Cheers, todos!     -B.W.


	17. Chapter 19: Norfair

**Chapter 19: Norfair**

 The metallic construct walls of the prison installation faded into the natural rock walls of the mountain above, giving the corridor an eerie feeling of not being completely constructed. Light from the lightning storms bounced through the winding tunnels. 

            The floor became rough and rocky as the steel panels gave way to an uneven surface. A slow yet constant _drip of water broke the silence every few seconds, the ceiling of rock hallway letting in a little of the deluge several hundred feet above it. The light _plunk_ of the water droplets echoed in the tunnels, suggesting that small pools of water formed in the dark passageway._

            The bold and eerie rolling of thunder shook the ground occasionally. The water stirred, but not a pebble rattled on the floor. Nothing besides the _dripping_ of the water could be heard.

            Atmosphere habitable for humans.

     78% Humidity.

     No heat trail signatures.

     No pirate or Kihunter tracks.

     No artificial traps or stratums.

     All clear.

            "There's nothing here. Let's keep moving, and the clock is ticking."

     "OKAY!!! Forward positions following the commander!"

            The Federation strike team had covered nearly a mile of installation corridors and came at last to the edge of the man-made fortress. The troops crept through the damp and watery cavern so lightly that only the slightest _crisp_ of footsteps could be detected as faint echoes. The recent bark of orders carried only on the infantry's radio frequencies, and every troop heard their sergeant without needing to make any more noise than necessary.

            Alpha, meanwhile, strode through the ankle-deep water in complete silence. His pearly white space armor made not the slightest glint in the lightning flashes, and some of the marines could barely tell that the mechaguardian was even there, without using night-vision goggles. 

            The squad covered several hundred yards more before another comm. transmission rang in the soldiers' ears. "Commander, do you hear that?"

            Alpha stopped at once, and the rest of the company did the same.

            Alpha amplified his audio receivers' power, and almost at once he heard exactly what he was expecting. A repetitious pounding against the ground and walls of the hallway ahead. The tunnel took a ninety-degree turn to the left, and a strong wind was wailing through the opening beyond.

            "We are nearing the opening to the precipice. No need for stealth, now. Follow me and watch your step."

     Alpha and the GF Marines marched their way towards the origin of the howling wind, and the AI's sensors started reading more and more violent statistics.

            Wind speed peaking 20 km/h. 

     Humidity dropping to 40%.

     Friction on floor dropping to 10%.

     Alpha scanned the floor. A slimy, greenish mold was growing on the rocks, making traction extremely slippery. The force of the wind was growing stronger, and the company was still twenty yards from the opening. Some marines had difficulty at first holding their balance, but they took keen advantage of their terrain-gripping boots and continued on.

            Wind speed peaking 50 km/h. Advise caution.

     Humidity dropping to 15%.

     Friction constant at 5%. Advise extreme caution.

     Audio patterns registered. 

     MAIN:/ Execute weather shielding.

     … … … … Done.

     Alpha reached the hole in the wall, and the force of the wind was a strong as a speeding hovercraft. The marines set themselves up in defensive positions around the opening, bracing their bodies against the storm-force gales. Alpha's shielding kicked in at once and the wind only escaped into the tunnel around the field that encircled the AI. 

            Alpha adjusted his grip on the sides of the opening and found a balance between the force of the wind and his own weight. The AI gazed out onto the horizon that lay beyond. 

            Before them was endless sea of hurricane-force winds, its torrential and treacherous waters breaking against the sheer cliff face. The waterline was at least fifty feet below the opening as the hole in the wall provided no other platform to walk out on. The pounding of the water's force made the walls tremble stronger than any thunderclap. The water was a translucent grayish-blue, and foam layered the water as the forty-foot waves battered the flat mountain face.

            Black storm clouds broke and blew across the sky, with no clear end to them. Lightning bolts struck the surface of the sea almost constantly. Alpha could see no other exit from the side of the mountain face. 

            Alpha radioed a command through their frequency.

            "This is it, men. We're diving in. At the very base of the basin is an abyss-" 

            A few marines gave Alpha a half-stricken, half-joking look. 

            But some merely grinned, as they were the one who were capable of accepting and succeeding in such terrible conditions. That was why they were marines. No one else but them could get the job done.

            "At the very bottom of that abyss is an abandoned airlock that leads to the experimental sector of the prison. Ridley can't escape through there, and will not expect an attack from that part of the base."

     "Uh, sir… those waves are at least forty-feet high. How do you-"

            "Fuller, you're the last person I'd expect to say that! Aren't you one who got the highest marks in aquatics?"

            "No – that was Pinka…"

            "Damn straight, Fuller! But what you failed to catch what I learned in aquatics has everything to do with this mission!"

            Alpha couldn't understand why humans bickered like this. They were all qualified marines - the best of the best, based on their records. Why should they back down at a time like this? "Enough. All of you. Pinka, explain to your squad what the mission requires as you and the others suit up."

     Fuller didn't like taking orders from a machine, but he took it like a man and shut up quickly. Arguing would only break the team, and what they needed for this mission was cooperation and flawless execution.

            The men withdrew heavy diving equipment and tanks from their packs as Pinka explained the mission details to them.

            "Okay, listen up everyone! I'll only say this once! According to the Commander, the abyss goes about three-hundred feet below the water's surface. Your heavy scuba gear will protect you from the extreme pressure; you're not breaking any universal records or anything. We don't know what's down there, that's why you've got your power harpoons and torpedoes. 

            "You have been trained in the use of these weapons as well as your jet packs. Stay in formation behind the Commander, as he will be the foremost early warning detector of any threats. If you need any help with your suit, ask one of your buddies around you. any questions?"

            "Yeah – How's Alpha gonna help us down there? He'll drop like a rock in that armor!"

            "The Commander has everything taken –"

            "I am well-adapted to the situation. We must depart within the minute."

     As the company looked up, Alpha's armor was changing before their eyes. Its white luster tinted to a greenish-aqua blue, and the armor plating thinned dramatically, making the joints and limbs much more dexterous than when they were thickly padded. Alpha's gloves turned themselves inside-out, becoming webbed with a flexible metal material. His heavy pack compacted into a dual propeller jet pack with a harpoon gun and torpedo cannon harnessed to it by straps. 

            Even Alpha's helmet was changing. Alpha's helmet's white and round shape shrunk into an aqua color similar to his body armor. It became space-efficient and only as large as the other marines' helmets. His visor was no longer gold, now it glowed an opaque bright red, lighting up a small area of the cavern. To top it all off, Alpha's aqua-colored boots slimmed at an angle that made his entire body streamlined, and a pair of flexible metal flippers extended from the soles of his boots. In moments, Alpha has transformed into an aquatic soldier. 

            The marines were impressed rather than awed. Alpha's armor was so smooth from their distance that light glared from the shiny surface. No friction or drag while underwater. 

            The sergeant didn't waste any time. "Everyone suited up?"

            A coalition of murmurs and nods came from the strike team.

            "Good. We communicate through our predetermined hand signals. Don't panic. Follow the Commander's lead. Stay in formation. Did I forget anything, sir?"

            Alpha turned back to face the tempest-torn skyline. 

            "Fire on anything that comes to close to formation or that appears unfriendly."

     "Sir? Shouldn't we have a back guard – someone to secure this exit when we return with Samus and Houston?"

            Alpha didn't even need to consider. It seemed Fuller was contributing after all.

            "Okay. Since you don't like water, Fuller, you can stay behind as our back guard. Nothing that isn't human takes this position, short of myself." Several marines grinned at Fuller, who was having difficulty fiddling with his slippery black wetsuit.

     "Follow me – NOW."

     And with that simple command, Alpha dove off the edge of the hole and into the thrashing seas, a company of marines streaming out of the hole and after their commander.        

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Samus and Houston both had descended five flights of stairs, two deep elevator shafts, and blasted their way through over a dozen green-shielded doors. Nothing. 

            _Either Ridley is waiting for us in a really remote room, or he's not here at all_. Samus thought. At least one Zebes, she had the incentive of hordes of space pirates and bug-like enemies to egg her on that something important lay ahead, something BIG. There was nothing of the kind in this abandoned installation.

            Based on the maps Alpha had given her prior to their very late departure, Samus could tell that they weren't far from the only elevator shaft leading down to the restricted section.

            _In fact, the elevator room is just beyond a couple more doors…and still no sign of Ridley or his pirates._ Samus was getting frustrated, while Houston continued to watch her back silently and efficiently.

            "Boss, are you sure Ridley hasn't taken this way out already?"

            "I'm sure. Knowing Ridley, he'd wait for me to walk into one of his traps before he revealed himself. He won't walk away from the planet before either of us is dead. He knows that I think the same way."

            "Whatever you say, boss. You never told me exactly what happened between you and Ridley both times on Zebes. Other than the fact that he never seemed to stay dead."

            Samus was surprised herself, knowing that all the times she'd outsmarted the Mother Brain and her commanders, Ridley was the only one that outlived all the other pirates. Her surprise only lasted momentarily, when she remembered that Ridley started the whole Ceres Colony accident, as well as the eventual destruction of the metroid hatchling. She could still hear its-

            "Boss? You all right?"

            Samus didn't realize that she wasn't moving, and that Houston had advanced as far as her own position, laying an armored hand on her suit's shoulder.

            Samus shook off the memory. "Sorry. Yeah, I'm fine. Really."

            Houston shrugged reluctantly, knowing Samus wouldn't talk about whatever was bothering her. Samus continued to advanced and blasted the next green door with a super missile. The room shook as much as the last fourteen times she used a super missile, as the door opened with a compliant _whirr_. 

            Samus stepped through and found herself in a room very unlike the metallic corridor that she and her partner had passed through. Houston caught up with her in time for both of them to behold the view that spread before them. This wasn't on the map.

            What appeared the be the smoldering remains of a grand and open theatre of sorts, with a floor nearly three stories below the ceiling. The walls, floor and ceiling were all metallic, but glowed a fiery orange in random places, as if an explosion took place here. Upon inspecting the floor, a charred and still smoldering hole in the metal floor bent the metal plating like rubber. The steel tiles were bent upwards as if an explosion came from the floor.

            Flaming debris and charred metal scaffolding was strewn all over the floor, some steel beams glowed red from the heat and still clung loosely to the walls and ceiling. An orange-colored door lay embedded in the other side of the room, yet there was no platform to access it with. 

            "What the hell happened here?"

            Houston blinked. "Ridley?"

            "No. He's nuts, but he can't destroy a whole three floors of an installation."

            Houston blinked again. Then he saw what Samus was talking about. The rough layout of three floors of hallways, rooms and doors could be seen through the obliterated wreckage of the steel beams. Houston tried imagining what the section of the installation must have looked like before the explosion.

            "So which way do we go?"

            "What? There's only one door, Samus. It probably leads to the elevator shaft."

            "We also have a giant crater in the floor that leads in the same direction."

            "Your point being – you want to use an alternate route to get to Ridley?"

            "Why not? It worked in Zebes – _both times."_

            Houston shrugged once more. He wasn't used to Samus's way of infiltrating an enemy hideout, since his job had only been enlistment officer for-

            "HOUSTON! Are you coming or are you gonna awe at the humanity of this enlarged fireplace? Let's go!"

            Houston snapped back out of memories of his own and followed Samus in jumping down from the middle floor to the bottom floor of the demi-room. 

            The floor was hot, as hot as magma rocks – but both hunters' suits took the punishment without complaint. The dull _clunk_ of their boots hitting the metal floor rang out for a long while. Samus ignored the disturbance and had her arm cannon withdrawn as she crept slowly across the open arena. 

            No sounds except light footsteps on a curiously hollow metal floor.

            A high-pitched screech pierced the air. Samus and Houston froze instantly.

            _Can't you morons stop trying to reproduce these things and give me a-_

Contrary to what Samus was expecting. A human-sized armored insect emerged from the hole in the floor. It chattered at her incessantly. More screeches came from below, a flood of whispers making a crescendo to a chorus of chaos. 

            "Boss?"

            "Not metroids. Insect warriors. I saw them on Zebes. They- WATCH OUT!"

            Houston jumped aside just in time to dodge a mass of red acid fly towards him.

            The insect was filling up its sacks in its face with something, and Samus understood. She remembered what it was like on Zebes.

            She made no further mistake and blasted the bug with her combined weaponry. It shattered into a cloud of ice shards. In its place a trio of bugs emerged, flying right at her!

            "Shoot!" Samus cried as she poured her wave cannon at the cloud of giant insects. Houston did the same. The hunters made short work of the bugs in seconds. The screeching noise didn't stop. 

            Without warning, a constant stream of life-size insects poured upwards from the hole in the floor and flooded the room. Samus fired at the same time Houston did, but their wave cannons did not stop the horde that had made it through the hole in time. Samus aimed for the bugs that swung around the walls of the room towards her and Houston. The room was half-full with predatory insects by now, and more kept coming despite their falling numbers due to the wave cannons.

            "BOSS – WE – NEEED – TO – GET – OUT!"

            "SCRATCH OUR LAST OBJECTIVE! HEAD BACK TOWARDS THE DOOR WE CAME THROUGH!"

            Samus couldn't see to the other side of the room it was so thickly packed with angry bugs. She and Houston backed up quickly towards the corner of the room just beneath the door opening.

            "WHEN I GIVE THE SIGNAL, MAKE FOR THE DOOR!"

            Houston didn't respond, as he was busy waving his arm cannon in every direction and degree in front of him. Samus rolled into her morphing ball and dropped a small rolling and ticking sphere onto the floor. Houston kept his eyes on the enclosing wall of bugs.

            A bright flash lit up his vision. Houston was momentarily blinded, and he panicked for a moment for not being able to see what was coming at him. He forgot what his wave cannon looked like. He couldn't see a damn thing in the white fog of the flash. A power bomb had been set off. 

            Houston's comm. frequency shouted at him in a voice that sounded a lot like Samus's. "MOVE IT, NOW!"

            Houston turned and his vision started to return, much like an old-earth flashbang effect. He jumped up to the alcove where Samus was already standing in the doorway, firing ice beams at something behind him. He could hear again. The incessant and constant chattering and screeching of insects filled his head. 

            Houston's jump faltered as he came over the edge of the platform. He was rolling, on the floor. Samus's armored legs rolled into view several times each second. He couldn't think straight. 

            The lone _whirring of the door cut off the endless flood of noise, leaving only a loud thud coming from the other side of the door, the sound of a wall of insects crashing against the sealed door._

            Houston's eyes were rolling.

            "Samus?"

            Arm cannon fire filled his ears. A few super missiles rocked the floor of the room, waking Houston up more than any coffee could have. Houston came to his senses and he looked up from his sprawled position on the floor. Arm cannon fire became a constant stream of high-pitched noise.

            "Samus?"

            No answer. The only answer was a single, deafeningly loud and primal roar that shook the room like a million concert speakers blaring their lowest and loudest bass notes. The treble of the roar followed quickly after, and Houston thought for a moment he had wound up in Jurassic Park. 

            Then his wits kicked in and he realized what was happening.

            Houston squinted hard as he got up to his feet.

            Another roar was the last thing Houston saw as the visage of Samus disappearing behind an unlit gray blast door. 

            "SAMUS!!!"

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "I _know we have a problem, commander! Just get us into orbit!"_

            "But sir, what about Samus and the others?"

            "They can all fit in her ship! Now get this hunk of junk into a position where it isn't a sitting target!"

            "Sir – thrusters-"

            "Only give me reports on the battle in orbit, ensign! SOMEONE GIVE ME A MEANINGFUL REPORT!!!" 

            The bridge of the _Excalibur was a chaotic war room filled with blinking red warning lights, holographic displays and panicked navy officers. Among them, Hardy and the GF President were trying to sort out the madness. The cause of the madness was the sudden entry of six KiHunter planetkillers into orbit from hyperspace. The sextet of capital ships wasted no time showing off their grandeur and instead proceeded directly to sending their swarms of greenish fighters out to meet the grounded GF fleet, only a fraction of which remained in orbit._

            Hardy was helping the engineering officers sort out the piloting that came with taking off in succession with the rest of the grounded fleet. Meanwhile, the President and Deltha were doing whatever they could to salvage some order from the mayhem. Officers that were twiddling their thumbs idly were now panicking.

            "WELL?"

            "Mr. President, remnants of the fleet has formed a battle line across the sky above – but the fleet of unidentified capital ships is already releasing more of the smaller attack fighters!"

            "Get me online with the captains of the other GF flagships!"

            "Can't do that sir!"

            This time a silence did not follow, as gunners and pilots ran through the bridge to the turbolifts, heading towards their respective laser batteries and hangar bays. Everyone was running from station to station on the bridge. _Why wasn't this crew better prepared for a situation like this? Deltha thought. Meanwhile, the President didn't seem to hear or comprehend the response given to him._

            "Excuse me?"

            "Sir – we've lost communications. Though the _Exclaibur_ is two miles from the exosphere of the planet, the gap between us and the rest of the fleet has been filled by the enemy fighters!" The President slumped back in his chair, appalled at the situation. All the other GF ships had taken to orbit and joined in the battle, but the _Excalibur_ was left as a sitting duck, and a clear and appealing target being the only ship beneath the cloud cover of the KiHunter swarms. The sunlight of the largest star in the system faded as the shadow of the orbital ships thickly crowded the skyline.

            "Can we penetrate the enemy formation?"

            "Negative sir. If we could, we'd come out eaten alive. If we threaten the formation or point out even more to it that we're alone-"

            "Point taken, ensign. What does the countdown say?"

            A slight pause. The President couldn't tell if it was due to checking or due to swallowing very, very hard.

            "Roughly two hours, sir."

            "Then let's get back in formation, if we can. Pilot, see if you can steer us around the enemy formation. I don't care if you have to float over a thousand miles of scenery to escape the cover of the battle."

            "Aye, aye – sir."

            Deltha took one last look at the prison installation where his creation and friends fought, unaware of the peril miles above them. _Alpha, Samus: Please hurry up._

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Ridley was clearly enjoying the holocam visual from his lofty perch. In a secluded (and dead-ended) sector of the prison installation, he and his pirates watched the lifelike hologram of Ridley lure Samus into the powerless part of the installation. The lack of any light allowed the hologram to disappear credibly, making it seem like Ridley's own chameleonic ability. All in all, Samus Aran was separated from her fumbling partner, and she had no idea what was in store.

            "Sir? The others have been asking questions."

            Ridley frowned. His pirates weren't supposed to ask questions. They were supposed to followed orders. Ridley tried to remain interested. 

            **"What could they possibly be worried about?**"

            "Well – sir – they have noticed via the security cameras that a KiHunter fleet has arrived in orbit."

            **"Yes. I was expecting Ki-Chac to call for support. Is that all?**"

            "The KiHunter ships have not landed once, and yet their troopers have been spotted chasing Samus and Houston into your trap."

            Ridley frowned even deeper. This was true and confusing.

            How could the KiHunters appear in the installation while Ridley himself was in it.

            Ridley got into a slight daze, and he shook off the momentary fever quickly.

            "Sir?"

            "**Tell them it's nothing to worry about. Once Aran is dead, we will leave. The KiHunters are of no concern to us. If they destroy the Federation, good for them. If not, oh well. They have crossed me one too many times."**

            Ridley then eyed the entrance to the cavernous caldera he and his men had an alcove perch atop. The orange blast door _whirred_ open and out stepped a humanoid in a purplish-pink chozo suit. Ridley bared his teeth and smiled evilly.

            "**Let the fun begin!"  **


	18. Chapter 20: Overtime

**Author's Note: **I'm aware that I'm not as involved in Metroid as I used to be. A good writer never makes excuses, so I'll refrain from the self-pity BS and say that this is my _last_ Metroid fiction. No buts. I started the Metroid section, and I feel gratified to know that better writers will continue to support it. In the meantime, have fun and enjoy the ride! This will be the last author's note you will read!

**Chapter 20: Overtime**

Time remaining: 1 hour 45 minutes.

No threats perceived at this time.

     The murky depths of the vast ocean bordering the prison installation's natural granite barriers were darker than Alpha had expected. The water was not so much thick with mud or other particles that it let in so little light from the sky above that Alpha considered for a split-nanosecond that it wasn't really water. A sample testing cleared away his doubt. 

            The Federation marines swam deeper and deeper in a pyramidal formation, its pointy tip angled directly down, with Alpha at its foremost position. One hundred feet had been revealed beneath the surface within fifteen minutes, and Alpha could feel the icy temperatures of the bluish-black void through his armor plating. He could tell that temperatures were approximately 303 degrees Kelvin. His marines stayed in formation, though Alpha was sure they were feeling the effects of the cold more strongly than he was.

            As the bluish cascade of light bled into the rest of the watery abyss's black veil, Alpha adjusted his sensors and light amplification arrays. Alpha just realized that he was the only one that would be able to see in the darkness. He lit up a blue-flamed flare underwater, and with almost instant compliance a sphere of yellow-white light illuminated the empty space surrounding the marines. Alpha's formation activated their own network of high-powered lights.

            How much good it would do in absolute and empty darkness, Alpha could only estimate. If something was out there in the depths, he and his marines would need to see it in order to react. The visibility range of the sphere was undetectable, but Alpha judged from its power output that the wall of light would extend thirty meters beyond each formation's point, which was a well-armed and well-trained marine.

            One-hundred-fifty feet. Halfway down. Silence. The rumble of thunder was droned out by the eerie and constant sound of waves beneath the water's surface. Alpha started a pattern recognition program to try to detect any living origin of the waves in the water. Something must have created the movement of the water, besides the planet's moons. 

            A giant, silvery-white entity flew in and out of the sphere of visibility so quickly that Alpha could not even guess what it was. Alpha was, however, able to determine what the other marines could tell from that preview; the image that came to pass was nearly fifty feet in diameter. Absurdly enormous for the size of the lake-ocean that it inhabited.

            Alpha did not have to make the order through another flare. He heard faint clicking and humming noises above him, which meant his marines where charging their weapons. The mood in the watery space between each soldier was tense, anxious, ready. Alpha put a maximum power output to his sensor for enough seconds to see fully what he was dealing with.

            Upon seeing what Alpha and his company were besieged with, a red flare lit up just above him during his descent, and the heat was on to them.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Why are communications still down?" The President was not pleased. Having already outmaneuvered the cloudcover of the battle in orbit, the _Excalibur _was quickly ascending through the thinning atmosphere of the planet.

            "Sir, the enemy ships appear to be jamming our communications."

            "What about old earth radio frequencies?"

            "They're down, too, sir."

            "Damn!" The President turned to Hardy, who was busy directing task forces in formation in the event of communications coming back online.

            _Damn. This is one mucked up battle, and there's nothing we can do to help!_

A calm and comforting voice directed itself towards the distraught commander-in-chief. "There is still hope for the Federation, sir."

            The President turned to Deltha who was probably the most calm of all the people on board the bridge. If Deltha was worried about anything, he hid his expression and emotions flawlessly. 

            "What hope is there, Deltha? Our most talented soldiers are split up, and our fleet is disorganized by the jamming net."

            "There is hope as long as we let it exist. Our fleet yet outnumbers the enemy in number of ships."

            The President sighed. _And what good is superior numbers going to do to a disoriented coalition of fleets?_

"Sir! We have received emergency frequency communications from the _Elizabeth!"_

            That woke the President up. He turned around, along with half the crew on the bridge. "How? I thought you said our communications were being jammed!"

            "The _Elizabeth__ has removed itself on the outskirts of the battle - it says ten kilometers is far enough away to escape the jamming net. She is sending coordinates of the estimated jamming radius."_

            _That's strange. It must be a very short range jamming system… "Pilot! Put us around in a position adjacent to the __Elizabeth, just outside the coordinates provided! And light up all the deep-space beacons we have!"_

            "Yes sir!"

            "Sir, won't that give away our position to the enemy?"

            The President glanced at Deltha, who made no comment on the officer's question. Deltha continued to remain calm, but deathly silent. "Yes, it will, Commander. But it will signal to the fleet to move out of jamming range so we can salvage what's left of the fleet. I don't care if it lights us up like a Christmas tree - make sure the fleet can tell we need to regroup!"

            "Yes sir!"

            "Hardy?"

            The rounded Federation Security Officer turned around momentarily. "Yes, Mr. President?"

            "We'll be exiting the jamming field shortly. I want you to make sure you have a regrouping formation and official orders prepared when our fleet's communications net comes back online."

            "All from your approved list, sir?"

            _Damn! The accursed approved list! I hadn't looked it over at all! The President silently cursed himself and shook his head at Hardy. "Negative. Use whatever means necessary you need. Forget the approved list."_

            Hardy hesitated. The President never saw Hardy pause for anything longer than to take a breather in between meals. _Could Hardy be breaking under my command? _

            Hardy complied with his assertive and cheerful tone once more. "Yes sir!"

            The President let out a momentary sigh of relief, for while the battle was not going well, at least he could confirm the existence of hope.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Houston was trapped in the room, and the blast door he came in from still glowed a sky blue, though the chattering and hissing noise behind it did not dim or grow softer.

            _Damnit__, Samus! Why do you always have to take Ridley on by yourself? Where do I fit into the picture? Houston was having a difficult time understanding what to do. There was nowhere to go. Even with power bombs of his own, he couldn't abandon his position without waiting for Samus to return. _

            He scanned the room for what must have been the twentieth time. Metal piping decorated the walls and ceiling. There was one blue blast door on one side, and a locked gray blast door on the other side. There was one electric-helium lighting panel on the ceiling, and it was dimming slowly. _Emergency lighting. A giant metal pipe ended up on a wall between the two first blast doors, with a wheel-like lock sealing the end of it._

            Houston considered turning this wheeled lock, in the hopes it was another door. But a rhythmic and eerie pulsating noise came from behind it. The door had to be manually opened, and any damage to it could destroy it forever. Houston was trapped, unable to make a decision on what to do. Houston wasn't sure why he couldn't make a decision, but his longstanding loyalty to Samus was now in jeopardy by a free-standing decision he had to make.

            Houston walked over to the wheel-lock of the pipe door, and grabbed onto it with his chozo gloves. He easily found a good grip, and used his enhanced strength to wrench the wheel clockwise. His gloves moves clockwise, and not the wheel. This thing was either rusted shut, or not meant to be turned. Houtone grabbed with both hands and pulled down with all his might. Even his own muscles within his chozo suit started to ache after the first few seconds.

            It would not budge. Houston gave up. He pounded his fist on the metal seal of the piping in anger and frustration.

            "WHY WON'T YOU OPEN UP!"

            Houston paused for another moment. "**SAMUS!!!"**

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Samus's sensors immediately jumped to a red-alert high. The temperatures inside this massive chamber were dangerously and equally high. The floor beyond gave way to a floor that seemed to be glowing a fiery orange-red. The floor was moving.

            Samus took a few steps into the furnace-like room, her gravity suit and varia suits combining to protect her from the heat and radiation. The sound of roaring flames filled the chamber, though Samus could hear none. 

            _This looks like the kind of place Ridley would hang out. Reminds me… of deep Norfair…Why would a place like this exist in a prison installation?_

The memories permeated in and out of Samus's perception of reality. Was this Norfair? Samus stopped at the edge of the floor, before it gave way to the pit beyond. She raised her arm cannon in ready stance. Her heart rate was increasing, her blood pusling throughout her body. She was ready.

            _I was right… the floor really is filled with lava. Ridley MUST be here. _

            Samus waited even longer. She scanned the distant ledge that overlooked the cavern high above the rocky and burning walls of the chamber. It was unoccupied, but had a single grey colored blast door. It rested in the alcove so far above the floor that its silvery glimmer all but blended in with the fiery glare of the chasm before Samus.

            _Am I forgetting something? This is where Ridley is supposed to come out of his cloaking ability and…_

Samus whirled around and fired a charge ice cluster missile behind her. 

            The bluish freezing projectile hit air, and then the gray blast door behind her.

            _Locked in.__ Ridley has me where he wants me._

Samus backed up against a wall on the edge of the precipice, making it so she could see everything around her, and not having a dragon sneak up behind her.

            _He must be watching me…waiting for me to expose myself and…_

_            Waiting?_

Samus shouted out as loud as she could, her voice amplified by he suit. "RIDLEY! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE! DO YOU INTEND TO KILL ME THROUGH STARVATION?" Her alto voice echoed strongly above the roaring heat winds. There came no reply.

            "COME OUT AND LET'S FINISH THIS!"

            Still not reply but the echo of her own voice.

            The deafening blast of the fiery winds then took a direction of sound that was rather unnatural. The roar of the fire curled into a constant-pitch growl, a rumbling noise. The ground shook, and with it small waves formed on the lava pool's surface. Samus held her footing and kept alert.

            The roar made a painful crescendo and cut off in an angry and rough-edged cackle. 

            Samus's eyes darted around the arena, now sure that Ridley intended to attack very soon - if he was here, that is.

            Just then, an invisible force grabbed Samus by her shoulders and pulled her forward from the rocky walls. Samus lost he balance and tried to fire an ice shot just above her, where the invisible claw pulled her out. The ice beam stopped halfway through the air, something in its way. A bloody roar filled the chamber as Samus was released from the phantasmal grip. Samus was falling through the air. 

            Samus fell into the pool of lava on her back, and her energy tanks screamed in an immediate attempt to keep her suit intact. Samus could feel the fire through her suit, and her skin was burning. Samus drew out her armored legs in the hopes of finding the shallow floor beneath the scorching liquid. But Samus only feel deeper into the lava, and five energy tanks had been depleted. Her energy tanks were sinking rapidly as more of Samus's body was enveloped in the lava.

            Samus finally let out a long and tormented scream after the pain became unbearable. Her scream shattered the roar of the cloaked dragon, and it filled the lava chamber entirely. Samus started treading the lava like a swimmer and tried to get as much of her body as close to the surface as possible… 

            _I've got only one chance…! Can't…can't swim to shore… gotta… try…!_

Samus broke into the air after a small burst of jumping energy, and immediately spun unto a space jump. She bounced acrobatically through the air, and the fiery pain receded quickly. Samus could tell that through her occasional perception of the spinning world around her that the direction she was taking was back towards the entrance ledge she entered the room through.

            Samus was a mere ten feet from the cool and solid ground of the ledge when her space jump was interrupted by another strong and sudden force. A deafening and painful roar unlike any Samus had ever heard from any creature in existence nearly broke her eardrums inside her helmet. Her internal speakers dimmed the voltage coming from the audio receivers.

            Samus fell into the pool of lava once more, and her energy tanks whimpered in equal pain that she felt on her first dip in the molten ocean. Samus was within arm's reach of the edge, and extended a steaming and glowing orange arm over the edge of the ledge. Thick, opaque reddish ooze slimed down on her arm from above. The roar continued.

            Samus ignored all the pain and warning sirens her suit was feeding to her, and pulled herself over the edge and onto the dry yet steaming ground. She had two energy tanks left, and only one full reserve tank. 

            Samus lay on her side, exhausted and nearly burnt to a chozo crisp. She glanced down at her arm, which was covered in a thick reddish slime. _Blood…  Ridley's blood…_

Samus chuckled to herself, though she lay immobilized on the ground.

            _Ha ha… I was in a space jump with my screw attack activated. Ridley tried knocking me out of my space jump. He succeeded, but paid the price by coming into contact with my screw attack. Then Samus noticed that her whole suit was covered in head to toe with the thick dragon blood. She struggled to find her footing once more, and drew her head up to face her wounded enemy._

            **"THAT WASN'T VERY NICE, MS. ARAN!!! YOU SHALL PAY DEARLY FOR WOUNDING THE MOST FEARED SPACE PIRATE IN THE GALAXY!!!"**

Samus was so close to death that she was amused by it. She replied sarcastically and coldly at the invisible, but clearly bleeding foe hovering above the lave pool in front of her, "Yeah, I get that a lot from my bounties. Tell it to my arm cannon."

            Before any more pleasant conversation could be exchanged, Samus fired an ice cluster missile at Ridley's bleeding visage, and faced a wave of liquid flame to wash over her.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Depth: 250 feet below sea level. 

     Destination: 58 feet.

     Energy Weapons: Activated.

     Missile Weapons: Activated.

     Shielding: ERROR. Unable to activate… searching prompt logs… … … … … ERROR. 

     Cannot execute program at this depth.

     Proceed to destination; eliminate target.

     What Alpha and the marines were faced with was a fifty-foot long leviathan, a giant sea beast that was a terrible cross between a kraken and a giant shark. Its fins had a span of twenty feet, and its gaping jaws extended open just as far. Its eyes were as pitch black as the void it swam in. Alpha's marines were well-trained: for Alpha was much impressed with the willpower and courage of humans when they did not break formation. This may or may not have had much to do with the lack of opportunity the marines had to see the leviathan enter their visibility sphere.

            They were almost there, but the giant sea creature was swimming its way between them and the floor of the abyss. It finally swam into full visibility, its silvery-white skin revealing an eerie glare from the search lights emitted from each of the troopers. Alpha knew by its pattern of approach that it intended to swallow Alpha whole before attacking the others. Alpha did not have to think to activate his reactionary defenses.

            He withdrew a torpedo launcher from his armored body within moments. The target was approaching upwards at him at a high relative speed. Very fast. Alpha fired a torpedo at the behemoth, the missile speeding with added gravity and momentum at its rapidly approaching target. A trail of bubbles followed in its wake.

            The great sea predator had unexpected reflexes. It dodged the missile by practically sidestepping the missile on its path. Alpha could not even begin to imagine how much physics and muscular energy was required for such a complex maneuver; mostly due to the lack of time Alpha had to dodge the fish. 

            Alpha's jet pack kicked in at the moment he activated a green flare behind him, signaling a break in formation. Alpha sped even quicker towards the giant shark, whose jaws opened wide to engulf its small, green and speedy prey.

            Alpha took a sharp juke to the right, blazing right past the gills and smooth skin of the behemoth. Alpha turned on the rest of his sensors as he proceeded at high speed to the bottom of the chasm, passing the kraken up entirely. Alpha heard a unison of torpedo launchers sing out behind him, and Alpha did his best to brace for the underwater explosion that would follow.

            Alpha's body shuddered under the wave of explosion surging in all directions from the point of impact. His jet pack failed momentarily under the shockwave and Alpha saw the computer-enhanced imagery of the ocean floor ahead of him. Dust from the sedimentary floor was kicked up by the explosion. Alpha slowed his jet pack enough to land on the ocean floor feet-first. He looked around. He had propelled himself into an ancient and cylindral pipe that was dug into the ocean floor. The pipe-like cavern was large enough to fit a small session of congress in, had it not been filled with water 300 feet below the surface. 

            Within seconds after touchdown, Alpha spotted dark and moving humanoid figures touching down in the cylindral capsule. His marines weathered the explosion and pushed on ahead after their commander. These were exceptional marines, indeed. Alpha had regained his trust and faith in the capabilities of humans.

            Alpha turned back to the walls of the pipe after taking a pantomime attendance. A wheel-lock airlock door was planted right in its plating. Alpha wrenched it open clockwise and it gave way to his mechanical strength. The airlock was big enough to fit all of them, small though it was.

            Everyone slipped in quietly and efficiently, like professional divers.

            Alpha sealed the airlock door behind them, and pushed on one of three buttons on the door beyond. The lights went on. Alpha proceeded to the next. Water drained almost instantly from the chamber, and oxygen entered the capsule. Alpha pushed the third and a red LED light turned green in front of the second airlock door.

            Alpha signaled to his troops to ready their conventional dry land weapons. With a loud creak, Alpha wrenched open the airlock door by pulling the wheel lock clockwise. It opened out smoothly as though it was newly constructed. Alpha and his marines tumbled out in a storm of somersaults and cover formations, out into the room beyond.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Sir! The fleet has rallied according to our formations provided… but the enemy ships are moving the jamming net into our ranks!"

            "Have we identified which ships are supporting the jamming net?"

            "Not yet, sir. The sheer number of enemy fighters is disrupting our sensors."

            _Won't things were turn out for the better? The President sighed as his ship, the mighty _Excalibur, _shot down the occasional green enemy fighter that came too close to formation. _Just a few minutes more and we should have things wrapped –__

"Sir! There's one hour left on the countdown, and there's still no sign of Alpha or Samus!"

            "Acknowledged, ensign, just continue what you were-"

            "That's not all sir, the enemy fleet is regrouping as well!"

            "What?! Onscreen!"

            Before the crew of the _Excalibur_, the green cloud of enemy fighters made a single thick wall of between the GF fleet and the six planetkillers. Enemy fire ceased altogether as the wall edged closer to the battle line. No coalition ship dared fire a shot against the formidable screen of enemy fighters. 

            "What are you all waiting for?" The President shouted at his crew, and to the fleet around him, "Fire at will!"

            Almost in respective compliance, the entire battle line of the Federation fleet lit up in a spectacular display of missiles, laser batteries and wave cannons. The energies sprayed out to scar the face of the moving wall, but no explosions came. The green fighters evaded the hail of fire with astounding reflexes. The fireworks display continued without yielding any desired effect. The enemy formation continued to slowly advance on the battle line.

            "This isn't working! All ships: break their formation before they can eat us alive!"

            Then all chaos broke loose. Captial ships and starfighters alike charged into the net of insectile ships. The green fighters broke formation almost instantly, reactively to the fleet's decision to charge them. Fighters broke off in packs, hunting parties that attacked in swarms, assigned to their own targets. The _Excalibur _stayed behind to survery the situation.

            _This is no way to hold a battle in space… What have I done? The President watched with depressed stupor as the Federation ships tangled with the cloud of enemy stingers. All seemed too much like the last minute beforehand, but something caught the President's eye.  One of the giant enemy ships was opening one of its bay doors._

            "Ensign, what's that big bugger doing in Section 12?"

            "I don't know sir. It appears to be –"

            In a fitting respond to the President's inquiry, the planetkiller revealed a large green crystal from its inner compartments. It glowed bright green for a second, and then released a thick and destructive bolt of bright blue energy into the massive firefight. Federation ships and insect ships alike exploded in a cascade of sparks and vaporized metal. 

            "Sir! Aquarian fleet has suffered heavy losses! They request backup!"

            "Tell them we're coming to help, if we can! Alert all available fighter craft!"

            "Sir? Already on it!"

            "What? You didn't even know what I was going to say!"

            "No sir – but you, like half our ships in this furball just noticed the threat of those behemoths! Most of our ships are plowing towards those big ones!"

            The President was between praise and criticism. "… Concentrating all firepower on them?"

            "That is the general idea, sir."

            "Then we don't have a problem! Pilot – take us into the fray!"

            "Yes, sir!"

            Deltha was watching the whole time, not having the authority to take part in the command of a whole fleet. He sat back in the captain's chair as the _Excalibur _loomed ever closer to the jamming net, as well as the rest of the enemy fighters. Another blue bolt erupted through the firefight, narrowly missing the _Excalibur. The GF Fleet was being cut down to size._

            "Pilot! Evasive maneuvers!"

            "Already done, sir!"

            Deltha would not, _could not_ intervene in the President's orders, but Deltha could already tell that the Federation would lose. The lump in his throat doubled in size at the sight of the planetkillers setting loose another thousand green fighters from their hangers. The crew of the Federation flagship was stunned, despite the commotion that the gunners, pilots and communications officers created at their own posts. 

            Just then, Keaton burst onto the deck of the _Excalibur, with a party of hulky space marines trailing behind him. "Just what do you think you're doing?!"_

            The President was not expecting the Federation chairman to address him in that manner, and merely said nothing – instead letting the battle on the viewscreen say everything for him. Keaton was on the highest ramp of the bridge, and was expecting an answer. He looked alert, or at least well rested.

            "Well? Who created this mess of a space battle?"

            No-one answered. Deltha was getting heated up just by being in the mere presence of Keaton.

            Keaton shot a quick look down at Deltha.

            "YOU?!" Deltha shot a despising look back at Keaton, and Keaton, for the first time since Deltha knew him, was taken aback and stiffened his expression as he turned to the President.

            "THIS IS NOT ANY WAY TO CARRY OUT A BATTLE!"

            The President didn't know how to break this to Keaton. "Keaton, look… just calm down…"

            "NO! This whole battle has been ruined by your amateur tactics! What's the status on the fleet?"

            The communications officer answered to Keaton as quickly as he answered to the President. He took a long, hard swallow after checking and reporting the statistics. "We are at forty-two percent original power…"

            Keaton wasn't sure he heard right.

            "WHAT?!"

            Silence, save for the blizzard of emergency calls for assistance streaming out of the communications post. "YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT WE LOST OVER HALF OF OUR FLEET –" Keaton checked his watch during his pause, "IN THIRTY MINUTES?!"

            Keaton was on the verge of shouting a decibel louder than an turbofan engine. He was panting heavily, and lowered his voice to a meager and desperate grumble. "Do we have any reinforcements?"

            "Negative sir, this is the whole fleet."

            Keaton sighed hopelessly. _Over half the known universe's combined firepower, losing to six mysterious capital ships… It shouldn't end like this…_

A single planetkiller exploded in a green flood of energy. The crew cheered victoriously at the recent sign of hope. Keaton did not. _There are still FIVE left. _

            Keaton considered his last option. 

            Why he considered, he didn't know. The fate of the battle lay in his hands. Either he would go against everything he stood for in the past four years, or he would give in to the demands of trillions of free living beings.

            Keaton wasn't even sure why he hesitated.

            The Federation chairman turned to Deltha as the _Excalibur approached the edge of free communications space. "Deltha, call them in."_

            Deltha woke up. "I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman?"

            "I said: Call them in."

            "I'm not sure what you mean by that, sir."

            Keaton wasn't sure if Deltha was messing with him or just plain oblivious.

            "You have reinforcements back at the AlphaTech orbital center. Call them in."

            The crew went deathly silent for what seemed the millionth time today. Anyone who knew Keaton remotely knew how difficult it was for Keaton to say such a thing.

            "The other guardians…? But sir, you said –"

            "Deltha! If you value the lives of every living being in the known universe, you will follow my orders and bring your fleet of artificial intelligences to this very system!"

            Silence. Keaton added quickly and hastily, watching the tide of battle tilt towards the swarms of green fliers, "DO IT NOW!"

            Deltha didn't respond and only flicked open the face of his wristwatch to reveal an array of microscopic buttons, controls and displays. The most obvious display was a small switch, but clearly bigger than the other controls. Deltha flipped the switch forward. Nothing happened. Deltha turned back to Keaton in the seemingly frozen room.

            "They'll be here."

            "_They'll be here? Deltha… we need them NOW."_

            "They'll be here in time. They never fail."           

            "You damn well better be right, for all our sakes."

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Thousands of light years away, at the orbital AlphaTech Headquarters above the planet Earth, thousands upon thousands of freshly created unmanned capital ships and snubfighters floated in place at the great orbital docks. _Millions of ships in total, all without a single organic component among them, they waited obediently for their first assignment._

            Then, in complete unison, each ship powered up their primary reactors. Engines became functional in harmony with shields and weapons. Minds became conscious, and diagnostics were run in instantaneous succession. Their orders were interpreted as quickly as they had received them. 

            All systems nominal. Course set for the Forge system. Maximum Warp. Engage.


	19. Chapter 21: The Confrontation

**Chapter 21: The Confrontation**

            "Freeze! Identify yourself at once!"

     Houston froze at the sound of the most unexpected voice, following a most unexpected noise. He had his back turned to its source. Though Houston's nerves were not frayed even deeper to hear that voice.

            As Houston turned around to face his assailant, the computerized voice echoed throughout the room with a light series of mechanized chuckles. The AI's attempt at laughing came out as a fragmented series of erroneous crackles. "Armstrong Houston, I place you under the sanctuary of the Galactic Federation."

     "ALPHA! What the hell are you doing here?! And… ooooh…"

            Houston had just noticed the company the mechaguardian brought with him:  a whole strike team of twelve or so marines, armed to the teeth. Alpha was also very… green - and shiny, now that his armored body was streaming with water.

            "Okay. Whatever you say, boss."

            "You will address me as 'Sir' until we get back in orbit, Armstrong Houston. Where is Samus Aran?"

     Houston wasn't wholly expecting the sudden change of attitude. Knowing Samus was not with him and probably fighting Ridley alone, Houston figured Alpha came to the same conclusion. Houston told him. "Samus and I were separated. She went on ahead to take on Ridley alone. That door –" Houston waved to the still locked grey blast door, "Closed in behind her and locked, all by itself."

            Alpha made a quick and smooth transition from his green aquatic body back to his white astronaut-esque body. It happened it mere seconds, and had Houston been chewing gum on this mission, it would have dropped right out of his mouth – as his jaws dropped a good two and a half inches. 

            Alpha panned his golden visor across his white and spherical helmet towards the other door. Houston waved it off as well, "Behind that door is a motherload of rabid, flesh-eating insects. They came out of a hole in the floor beyond."

            Alpha didn't respond for a few seconds, and seemed to be processing all of this

            Without saying anything, Alpha motioned his hands in the air as a silent signal to his strike team. Alpha walked up to the control panel next to the blast door as his marines crowded around the doorway in crouched and defensive positions. 

            "Armstrong Houston, please stay back, behind my men. Pinka! See to it no harm comes to Houston!"

     "SIR!" Pinka at once grabbed Houston from out of the direct line of sight of the doorway and behind the clustered formation of veteran marines. Houston had his back to the insect-ridden door. 

            Something wasn't right.

            Alpha inserted his arm cannon into a slot in the control panel and a few sparks flew at the controls. "I – am – attempting to – override the lock on the door. Please standby."

     Houston thought he heard something. He turned to look at the door keeping him separated from a swarm of vicious life-size insects. 

            "Thirty two minutes remaining. Door lock override: 25%."

     Houston's ears focused on the sound coming from the door this time. Actually, Houston could tell a few seconds later in the _silence_ that it was a _lack_ of sound coming from behind the door.

            "Uh… guys?"

            No-one paid their VIP any attention. All were readying for the battle beyond the main doorway.

            "Door lock override: 55%. What is it, Houston?"

     "The door… the door isn't making any noise anymore…"

            "65%. And that's a bad thing? We're exiting out the airlock, Houston."

     Houston didn't want to argue, but he was sure that if there were insects behind the door in front of him, they were either dead or trying to be quiet.

            "85%. Lock and load. Hold your fire until I identify the target."  

            **_BAM! _**

****The blast door in front of Houston shuddered horribly, a great thunderous rumble pounding through the blue material. Everyone in the room, save for Alpha, jumped about a foot off the floor in their positions. 

            "Uh… guys?!"

            **_BAM!_**

****The marines were unsure what to do, some kept a nervous eye on the door that seemed to hold up against a great force beating on it from the other side.

            If Alpha was concerned, he didn't voice it. "Door lock decoded. Ready!"

     The grey blast door flashed blue for a moment before retracting open. A wave of blistering volcanic wind washed in from the room. The metallic doorway was immediately lit up by the orange glow of the fiery magma chamber beyond. The heat was immense. Without possessing chozo suits, the marines shielded their eyes from the evaporating heat. Alpha retracted his arm cannon and stepped into the doorway, taking the brunt of the heat.

            "The temperatures and gases in this room will be too great for you to bear! I will go on alone and-"

     **_BOOM!_**

****

****The blue blast door on the other side of the metallic waiting room shattered into a million pieces of cyan crystals, revealing a massive army of insects waiting behind. The marines turned to fire into the enemy ranks, just as Houston dodged to the side in time. The insect infantry had a great variety of troops: insects with wings, and some without. Some armored heavily, and others armored by their scales. 

            The room was lit up with a painful mix of fiery tangerine from the magma chamber and the greenish glow of the blaster fire from the marines. The tide of insects flooded into the room like a tidal wave breaking on a helpless shoreline. Alpha fired a final missile into the approaching crowd from the doorway before taking a final step into the furnace beyond.

            The door closed behind Alpha before he could say anything or give any orders.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      * 

     "Sir! An unidentified fleet of – holy crap –"

            Keaton was hoping the time had come. The Federation fleet was on the verge of calling a retreat and their numbers were down to a meager 20% of their original strength. The frequency of planetkiller attacks increased exponentially, as if their weapons cores needed only to build up momentum.

            "What? What is it?"

            "The fleet is sending formal Galactic Federation hailing signals to us, identifying itself as the Fist of the Federation…"

            "_Formal hailing signals? Those haven't been used –"_

            "The fleet is answering as one, sir, and it says it come on orders to defend the inhabitants of the Federation."

            "What?"

            "Do you want to see the official transcript, sir?"

            Keaton was appalled. He never heard of any such fleet, let alone one that used formal hailing signals and even had its own squadron title. Keaton looked to Deltha.

            "You had a completely constructed battlefleet?"

            Deltha responded just as the endless mass of the AI fleet crowded around the Federation ships in a defensive formation, shielding them entirely from enemy fire. 

            "Their purpose is as they stated. They are here to defend to the Federation."

            "A fleet constructed solely to protect the Federation? Why wasn't I told of this?"

            The President approached Keaton slowly, now regaining his confidence to address the chairman. "Because we knew you wouldn't approve of putting such firepower in the hands of thinking computers. The entire Federation Assembly – even the Senate – everyone had approved the project at a secret meeting."

            Keaton was infuriated. "WHY – YOU – I – CHAIRMAN –" 

            Hardy came to his old friend's side. "Don't worry about it Keaton, you ordered the fleet to be here, and it is here. Just let it be." And with that, Hardy forced Keaton down in a chair beside him and offered him a twelve-foot long sub sandwich. Keaton just stared at it, trying to see through Hardy's oblivious persona to tell if Hardy really knew what was going on outside the hull of the _Excalibur_.

            The President took Deltha aside to a three-dimensional holographic display of the orbital battle, one that they had used mere hours beforehand. The sheer and absurd number of robotically controlled starships overwhelmed the initial display of the hologram. It had to zoom out on such a grand scale just to put all the ships within view.

            The robotic fleet utilized its fast snubfighters to great effect, chasing down the green fighters ship for ship. The radar screen and the holo-display showed the dogfighting cloud as a thick, indistinguishable blob of enemy and allied fighters. With the green fighters forced to save their own tails, the slow, heavy, lumbering battleships advanced on the planetkillers, outnumbering them by the thousands. 

            The amount of ships provided by Deltha's reinforcements was nauseating. _How could so many ships be produced in a single lifetime? In several lifetimes? _The President was awed and exhilarated by the fantastic display. The number of enemy starfighters dropped by the minute, in hundreds. 

            Each of the planetkillers let loose their devastating attack on each of one separate targets, primarily the largest cluster of battleships that was coming into firing range. The lightning bolt of an energy blast struck the hull of each of the robotic ships, but the energy dissipated and glanced off harmlessly. 

            Everyone on the ship, save for Deltha, felt their jaws drop an extra inch. Deltha was smiling victoriously in an as-a-matter-of-fact sort of way. His creations were his pride and joy, and they were performing flawlessly, marvelously. _And the best part of it all, is that they can _think! _The artificial intelligences are actually conscious as long as they are activated! _

The thoughts of victory ran through everyone's heads, and Deltha could see it in their faces, even Keaton's, which was clearly failing to hide the fact that he was impressed. Deltha had done his job. _Damn, I'm good._

The Fist of the Federation halted as they charged their primary weapons. All five planetkillers combined their devastating attack on a single battleship. All that pure destructive energy was simply nullified as it struck the ship's hull. 

            A second later, after the one ship 'recovered' from the attack, each of the thousands of battleships, battlecruisers and destroyers discharged a red beam of energy that resembled a giant infa-red laser that streaked across space. The beams concentrated on the plantkillers by uncountable numbers, highlighting the enemy ships a bright red against the grey/white stormclouds of the planet beyond.

            After about ten seconds of this display, the planetkillers exploded in quiet and unspectacular way. The metal plating of the enormous insectile ships just diffused, separating at the joints, rivets and hulls. Each ship appeared as if it simply fell apart within a small explosion of its own.

            Deltha commentated on his ships' style, "They're slow, and slightly unwieldy, but you can't lay a finger on them. Within the next century, they'll be outfitted with fast-firing laser batteries and nuclear bombs."

            "…Excuse me? Did you say _nuclear?_"

            "That's right. Oh and it's pronounced: _nu-cle-ar."_

            "I don't think the universe will be ready to arm an unmanned fleet with a stockpile of nuclear bombs. Won't these conventional laser batteries be enough, if these ships can't be harmed?"

            "I haven't decided yet. Of course, you know, Mr. Chairman, AlphaTech runs outside the jurisdiction and control of the Federation. We are merely an independent contractor."

            "Thanks for reminding me. What's our status?"

            This time no momentary pause came from the crew, as a response came instantly and confidently. "Sir! All enemy carriers are destroyed, and our fighter squadrons are chasing down the remaining stragglers."

            Hardy, Keaton, Deltha and the President each took a moment to take a look at the viewscreen, which beheld a view that reflected a miraculous turn of events. The stormy grey clouds of the planet Forge's atmosphere were the only things within sight other than the AI battlecruisers. Lightning lit up the clouds in flashbulb-like effects. As the Federation fleet reorganized back into a defensive formation, the robotic fleet moved itself into a separate formation.

            "What are they doing now?" Keaton asked, getting angry again.

            "They are following the orders which I have so politely given to them."

            Keaton could not believe his ears. "Which are…?"

            "Surround the planet with a blockade that restricts any traffic from the planet. Anything other than Samus' own ship will be shot down promptly."

            Keaton didn't know what to say. Deltha had second-guessed him yet another time. Was there some sort of conspiracy among the Federation plotting to replace him with the master programmer? 

            Another thought interjected into the thoughtful silence of the victory. Everyone knew that just beneath the adrenaline rush of the moment, there lay a much bigger and much more stressful thought. The President was the first and only one to voice this thought. 

            "How much time do they have?"

            "Thirty minutes, sir."

            "Is there any way we can find out if Samus and the others are alive?"

            "None, sir. Even Adam, Samus's ship's AI lost communications with her via the installation's power loss."

            "Is there anything you suggest we do, Deltha?"

            Hardy sighed as Deltha shook his head. _And we wind up waiting for Samus to come out alive, before the planet explodes, Hardy thought, __Samus__ seems to be all-too obsessed with this manner of escape. I guess some things never change. _

            Deltha did make one last comment, "Where is the bomb, sir?"

            The President snorted, a cynical humor present in him. "You didn't know, the whole time?"

            Deltha nodded slowly. 

            The President sighed just as heavily as Deltha had. "It is with Alpha. Part of his mission is to plant it as deep into the installation as possible," Deltha was struck with an angry and unsuspecting shock, the President continuing, "Though if Alpha is half as good as you say he is, he'll come out with all of our soldiers alive."

            Deltha didn't know the details of the mission and could only sit back in the captain's chair, and wait for the clock to tick down to its final moment.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "ALPHA? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

            Samus was lying on the floor, her energy tanks all but depleted, and her reinforced purplish chozo suit showed serious burn marks all over it. Alpha's white, opaque and shined armored glowed the fiery red of the room and his visor magnified the glare of the lava ocean.

            Alpha knelt at Samus's scorched body. She was breathing heavily, but she obviously still had breath to scream at Alpha. 

            "Rescuing you. Where is Ridley?"

     "Oh, I'm feeling fine, too, thank you very much! How are you feeling?" The sarcasm was a bitter fury in Samus's tone, and Alpha read it very easily. 

            "Sorry. You still have one-point-five-six energy tanks full. What happened?" He looked up at the massive lava chamber, scanning it as Samus wriggled into a position where she had her back on the ground, staring up at the armored guardian leaning over her. 

            "I chased Ridley into this room, and he just disappeared. His stupid cloaking ability. I stepped closer to the edge of the lava pool to better view that door up there." Alpha found it just as Samus mentioned it. He didn't recognize it. Why?

            "Go on. I will continue to search for abnormal heat fluctuations."

     Samus took a deep breath.

            "Ridley grabbed me while he was invisible. I shot him in mid-air, and he dropped me into the lava pool. I used my space jump to float back to the edge, but not before I had lost half my energy tanks in the lava. I don't know how deep the lake is."

            "And then?"

     Alpha seemed slightly unconcerned, and Samus tried to keep the malice out of her tone. "Ridley interrupted my space jump, but forgot I had the screw attack. He badly injured himself just as I slipped onto this edge. We confronted each other as he was losing control of his cloaking – he was bleeding very badly. I shot a few ice attacks at him, and he gave me a shower in liquid fire."

            Alpha didn't even respond to the end of Samus's report.

            It wasn't complete, and Alpha made the right inquiries.

            "What happened after that? Where did Ridley go?"

     Samus shook her head. "I don't know. I woke up here a few minutes before you came in. Ridley was nowhere to be found."

            "Why didn't he just finish you off?"

     That was the one question Samus didn't want an answer to. It gnawed away at her logic, which was based on years of fighting Ridley on end. She knew him better than any being ever could. 

            Samus shook her head. Alpha nodded and straightened up.

            "Can you get up? We have to get out of here, Samus."

     Samus got up to her feet, holding back the pain with her now recovering willpower. Her warning lights were lighting up the inside of her helmet, reminding her that she was dangerously low on power. Alpha was right up on her, mere inches away from her. Samus took a step back.

     "You're telling me – only after we kill Ridley."

            "Samus, there's no time. We have to go now."

     Samus was getting angry. Alpha was the only thing standing between her and her prey, and a wounded prey at that. He claimed she had no time – there was always time to exterminate Ridley once and for all.

            "What do you mean there's no time?!"

            "Samus, this whole place, this whole planet is going to explode in . . . thirty minutes. We're leaving, with or without Ridley."

     Alpha grabbed Samus by the arm, with an adamant steel grip that Samus remembered from their first encounter. Samus tried jerking her arm back, but the robotic grip was too strong, even for her. "LET GO!"

             Alpha gave her a final look with his gold visor, an eerie reflection of her own helmet in the mirror world. "Samus. My mission to escort you out, ALIVE. You must not resist – you cannot resist. Come."

     Samus charged her arm cannon loudly and obviously. Alpha stopped tugging at her armored limb and froze in position.

            "YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY WHEN IT'S **YOUR **LIFE ON THE LINE, EH?"

            Alpha didn't move for a few seconds, and then turned to Samus, still holding her plated left arm in his crushing grip. 

            "Don't be stupid, Samus. You can't shoot me. Stop this renegade nonsense and follow me out of here."

     Samus switched to her hyper beam, and her suit started glowing a rainbow of colors once more. _That_ got alpha attention, as his attitude changed almost immediately.

            "Samus. . . No – please . . . You don't want to do this . . ."

     "Oh no? You're being too stubborn for your own good, you bucket of bolts!"

            ". . . Samus . . . Please – I . . . I don't want . . . to die . . . Stubborn?" Alpha's tone changed momentarily, as if regaining a false sense of security. 

            "Stubborn? Look who's talking, Ms.-I-don't-follow-the rules-Aran!"

     Samus had just about enough of it. She was about to let the trigger go.

            "Samus . . . I am the only one of my kind . . . I need . . . I want to live . . . Please . . . **LOOK OUT!"**

     With an unforeseen amount of strength, Alpha hauled Samus off her feet and threw her across the room, sending her flying into the door behind him.

            A terrifying roar filled the air, one that Samus had hear one too many times. Her whole body ached from the impact with the door. _Alpha? Samus looked up._

            Ridley, now completely de-cloaked, was fully healed and swooping down on Alpha, who stood defiantly against the wave of dragon breath washing over him. Alpha's visage was nearly completely consumed in the flames, and Ridley now swooped in behind the blinding figure of the AI set aflame. 

            There was a terrifying rumble that shook the floor and walls of the lava chamber, and another roar following it. Ridley shot up from Alpha's position like a rocket, screeching in pain and fury. The flames subsided from Alpha's armor. He was literally untouched, but then again, Samus could only see his untouched back plating.

            "**ACCURSED FIREWALKER!**** DO NOT INTERRUPT OUR FIGHT! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND SAMUS!"**

            Alpha did not respond to the complaint of the space pirate captain. Ridley then hovered in the air just above and beyond Alpha, and started to breathe in strongly. Ridley made an obvious effort at taking in a great amount of air and lava alike. Ridley did not appear to mind temporarily storing the lava in his throat. Actually, all dragons that breathe fire have a fire lung where they curdle their flames until they let it out. Ridley had the capability and ability to endure pain required to breathe out a volcanic stream of destruction from his jaws.

            Samus had only seen Ridley's pyroclasmic fireballs in previous encounters, and had never seen Ridley behave this way. _No matter – he's a sitting duck while doing so. Samus thought as she got up from her corner by the door and readied her hyper beam._

            Ridley knew from Samus's escape what the spectrum of colors would mean. He let loose his stored up eruption, his usual scream upon breathing fire now a primal roar. Alpha only just saw Samus step up to his side as Ridley's jet of liquid fire shot towards them. Alpha didn't have time to say anything, and he stepped in front of Samus to shield the onslaught.

            For the most part, all Samus could feel was the waves of heat caressing her armored sides as Alpha took the brunt of the attack. The AI stood strong against the attack, but sparks flew from Alpha's armor. The onslaught did not let up, and Samus was beginning to wonder if Ridley was capable of this much firepower, or whether Alpha's indestructible armor was that infallible.

            The flame barrage ended with the roar of the dragon, and almost immediately, Alpha collapsed onto his knees, his arms holding him up from collapse. "ALPHA!" Samus took to his side, despite the cackling laughter of the pirate. Alpha turned out worse from the attack than Samus expected.

            The whole front side of Alpha's armor was melted away, a white and gold pool of metal sizzling away at his thick boots. Alpha's internal body was an exposed labyrinth of wires, servos, and deformed crystals. Circuits were fused together, and some parts of Alpha's circuitry were so badly damage that they were beyond all recognition. Even Alpha's gold visor and helmet were melted away, exposing a badly charred and melted robotic head. Alpha's wires were sparking constantly when they weren't catching flame.

            The cackling laughter filled the chamber once more. 

            "**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**** It seems… HA… that your invulnerable friend is not so invulnerable anymore… You are finished, Samus Aran!"**

            Samus ignored Ridley, and Alpha was hunching over more and more by the second. Unintelligible noises – cracks, pops, and fizzles – came through on Alpha's voice speakers, but only a few words were understandable.

            "Sa – muh – Suh – Ree –"

     Samus shook her head rapidly, "No! You can't go! I need you!"

            Alpha's computerized speech was broken in places, and some sounds slurred dangerously, as if Alpha was losing control of even his voice.

            "Ahh Eeeeeee – cah – ellllllllllllllllllll –" 

            Alpha stirred quietly, the rest of his white armor melting along the exposed seams. He jabbed his arm cannon right at Ridley, and a shower of sparks flew out. Ridley was now dying of laughter, unable to control his humor. Samus's ears soon came to hear nothing, as the world around her became so quiet that she could only hear an eerie wail of a nameless wind.

            An ice missile shot out of Alpha's cannon and hit the dragon exactly when he wasn't expecting it. Ridley froze entirely, and dropped like a rock into the lava lake. It thawed in moments, and Ridley was swamped neck-deep in the deep lava. His death throes shattered the dream world Samus was in.

            _But this isn't a dream – Alpha's dying. _

            Alpha looked up at Samus, and shoved his arm cannon at her. She jumped back, instinctively, but Alpha slowly shook his head. His voice could suddenly be heard, but it was desperate, apologetic.

            "Samus . . . I am dying . . . My vital circuits are failing . . . But my energy tanks . . . Are still intact. Link your arm cannon up with mine . . ."

     "Alpha?"

            "Do it. Ridley will survive. I will die. You must have the energy to win."

     Samus made no further hesitation, as Ridley was just getting his bleeding wings out of the lava lake. She hooked her arm cannon with Alpha's and immediately her energy tanks shot upwards in a constant flow of energy. Alpha was growing weaker by the second as he transferred his energy to Samus. Alpha had enough energy to speak, but Samus could tell that it was a struggle for Alpha to make his words clear. Alpha was nearly sprawled on the floor.

            "Samus. The red data crystal in my abdomen. All the information regarding my readouts, my memories, and my programming are store in it. ***FZZZZT* **Once it - ***ZZTAP* **- Is removed, get the hell - ***SHZZZAP* **- out of here." Alpha's internal components in his chest burst into flames, and Alpha weakened even more. He just barely had the strength to lift his robotic head up to face Samus one last time.

     "My body is no longer fit for operational purposes. You have your energy tanks?"

     Samus nodded, now refreshed though not relieved to see that all twenty of her main tanks and four of her reserve tanks were filled to the brim with protective energy. Her response seemed to comfort the AI somewhat. Ridley's roar interrupted the moment of drama. Samus looked up, leaving Alpha to fall face-flat on the floor, unmoving.

            Ridley was hovering unstably above the surface of the lava, and his entire body was a sickening mix of profusely bleeding scales and charred skin. Ridley's right eye was charred closed, and thick maroon dragon blood covered his sleek face. His remaining left eye was bloodshot and wild, and it was fixed right on Samus. 

            Alpha stirred slightly, and spoke softly, his voice losing volume rapidly.

            "My . . . crystal . . . Is . . . this . . . what . . . death . . . feels . . . like . . .? Goodbye . . ."

     And with that, Alpha's servos stopped whirring, his circuits stopped sparking, and his melted body slumped on the floor, devoid of all tension or muscle forces. Samus didn't have time to mourn her comrade, as Ridley made no warning at rushing her immediately. 

            Samus jumped aside as the dragon pirate screeched past her, his razor-sharp claws narrowly missing her as they were outstretched. His harpoon-like tail, however, struck Samus hard from the side, and Samus lost more energy. Samus responded with a blizzard of plasma and wave beam shots charged with her infamous ice beam. Her shots never missed, and they struck Ridley between the wings just as he was turning around to strike out at her.

            Ridley shrieked in pain, reminiscent of the previous roars of untold amounts of pain. Ridley's wings became limp, and the dragon stopped in the middle of moving towards Samus to let out another deafening cry of mortal pain. _His wings are gone – and now all that he need is..._

Samus switched to ice cluster missiles and shot them straight at Ridley's jaws, which were wide open while screaming in pain. Ridley had no time to react or complain once more. He froze like an iceberg and the terrible screams of pain stopped dead on the air. Samus gave her next action no thought, it was over. 

            Samus switched to her hyper beam and shot a constant stream of rainbow energy into the remarkable ice statue that Ridley had become. The ice melted instantly, vaporized in many states of water, and the entire ice sculpture disappeared within seconds under the energy.

            Ridley was no more. Nothing remained of his frozen visage.

            Samus was suddenly knocked flat on her stomach, "URRRRRRGH!**" **

Samus tried pulling her arm cannon up, but it was throttled to the floor. A giant, severely charred claw pinned her body and limbs to the ground. Heavy, ragged, and uneven breathing filled Samus's helmet speakers, though she could hear it through her helmet. Samus shouted out his name through clenched teeth.

            "RIDLEY!"

            The dragon wasted no time in spinning Samus around on her back, leaving her to face his own visage up close. Ridley was is sore shape. His entire face was now blistered and scarred more than when he emerged from the lava pool, and his deepest wounds were broken wide open, bleeding uncontrollably. Ridley's one eye was gleaming as it examined her helpless state. 

            He used his other claw to flex his talons just inches from her helmet, and he had something entangled in his bloody claws.

            It was Alpha's crystal.

            "**LOOKING FOR THIS?"**

            Samus struggled against Ridley's grip, which was not as strong as she remembered Ridley to be. Ridley was about to put his whole weight on her when a high-pitched beeping noise blared at him from behind. _Alpha said, 'To get the hell out of here' Samus thought. Just as this beeping became more than Ridley's curiosity could bear, he turned around, losing sight of Samus and the blast door in front of him._

            "**Eh?"**

            The blast door opened with a smooth unsealing *_shwirr* and Samus glanced at the top of her eyesight to see a company of marines rush out for her. Ridley was just turning back to her, still unbalanced._

            Samus grabbed Alpha's crystal from Ridley's claws and fought off Ridley's grip and rolled to the side. Ridley was infuriated with her, but realized that a full company of marines was firing at him. Ridley roared in frustration and Samus rolled through the blast door in a morph ball. Samus got out just in time to shout to Houston and the others: "CLOSE THE BLAST DOOR! NOW!"

            Ridley chased after her, ignoring the hail of blaster fire that bombarded his already severely damaged body. The beeping of Alpha's dormant body made a crescendo so loud that it blotted out all other sounds. 

            The blast door closed and sealed just as Ridley reached it. Samus was relieved to see the door turn a placid grey color as it locked behind her. Ridley's body hit the other side of the door with a great impact. 

            Ridley's roar could be heard easily through the metal, but it was fading, as if moving further away from the door. 

            There was a momentary pause, without any noise or movement. The majority of the volume of the room was piled up with the sizzling corpses of hundreds of dead Ki-Hunters. Samus didn't seemed to notice the mess on the floor, and still gripped Alpha's crystal tightly. Houston started to ask Samus, "Boss, what was that all about?"

            Samus glanced at the door, which had become completely quiet.

            "Ridley took Alpha out, but Alpha instructed me to take this -"

            Samus held up Alpha's ruby-red data crystal. "- Before he died. Something about being able to rebuild him."

            Houston was about to embrace Samus in a hug, but she avoided it cleverly, settling for a friendly handshake.

            Pinka, the senior commander left in the absence of Alpha, was already suited up, and the rest of his marine squad was nearly done. He addressed the two bounty hunters assertively. "You two! We don't have a lot of time!"

            Samus and Houston both turned to look at their rescuer. Houston spoke first.

            "What are you talking about? Alpha told us we still had thirty minutes before going into the furnace!"

            Pinka was growing impatient, and had his marines open the airlock hatch while he explained. "That is correct. The problem is, lover boy, that Alpha's unforeseen demise has put his internal bomb on a much shorter schedule. Probably so Ridley wouldn't have time to escape. Our timers say six minutes. We need to leave _NOW_."

            Samus and Houston both blinked at the same instant.

            Samus didn't have time to argue, "Which way is out?"

            Pinka crawled into the airlock hatch. "Up. Back to your ship. That's the rendezvous point. We're going by water. Since you don't have jet packs, I suggest you use the service elevator Alpha said was in that room." The marine commander gestured back at the door Samus had escaped from, and merely let out a final reply.

            "Good luck, don't die, and see you at the rendezvous point. MOVE!"

            _Gee, what amazing planning skills. Samus thought, _Alpha didn't think to bring jet packs for me and Houston.__

            The hatch slammed shut and Samus took no time in blasting the blinking blue and grey door open. 

            Samus encountered the same heat in the room, when Houston wasn't ready for it. The beeping noise was incessantly defeaning. _Damnit__, I already know the bomb's getting ready to explode! Just shut up and-_

            Samus dashed into the room, spotting Alpha's dormant body on the floor. A small LED display blinked with red numbers on Alpha's outer armor plating. 

            _Five minutes. Where is that elevator shaft? OH!_

Samus waved at Houston to follow her as she backed up all the way to the blast door. Houston cautiously followed her. She pointed up at the ledge at the far upper alcove of the other side of the lava pool. The placid glow of a grey blast door reflected the orange fire of the lava lake. Samus pointed to it in front of Houston hastily. For once, Houston recognized it at once and nodded quickly.

            Without waiting for another moment to consider other options, both Samus and Houston dashed for the edge of the solid ground. 

            With their speed boosters kicking in, both chozo warriors' suits flashed yellow as they burned up the ground beneath them, both sprinting side by side for the threshold of fire. 

            At the very instant both reached the lava lake at the same time, they both leaped out into the space above the surface and carried their speed booster energy with them into an angled launch. Neither had time to make any marginal aiming errors, and both the purplish and bluish chozo suits became spherical blurs soaring though the air.

            The flight lasted mere seconds, and both bounty hunters landed on their feet on the narrow platform jutting out from the grey blast door.

            _Wow. Here goes._

Samus switched all her other weapons off, and switched hey HYPER beam on, giving it full potential to expand into all her systems. She dashed for the door, firing the pure destructive energy at the gray metal. The door disintegrated instantly, and Houston followed Samus in their mad dash to wherever the corridor beyond led. 

            _Let's hope this door leads us out before we become Federation fritters! Samus thought._

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Twenty minutes, sir!"

            "Damnit, where the hell are they?"

            "We don't know, Mr. President. Alpha's got the best record in the whole Federation, but…"

            Deltha opened his eyes. He had dozed off. The President was clearly getting anxious, and nobody had any answers for him.

            The same ensign who previously had a random mix of information and a lack thereof for the President was trying to console the president. Instead, his consolation only worried the President even more.

            "If Alpha's the best out there, and Samus and Houston both are the best we have, why haven't they come back yet?!"

            "Sir, they may be miles underground, and may be encountering unforeseen obstacles."

            "Like what?"

            "Like, Ridley, begging your pardon, sir."

            "Ensign, we know Ridley's down there! However, HE isn't their mission! The bomb will take care of that!"

            Deltha stretched and let out an obvious yawn. He hadn't had very much sleep since this whole mess began. _What is the President worrying about?_

            Keaton and Hardy were asleep, their heads resting on each others' shoulders. Deltha snorted loudly with amusement at the ironic sight. _I should have brought my camera – wait! _Deltha adjusted his right glasses lens so a blue-tinted shade covered it. A slight _*click* followed, and the blue clip slided back into its previously hidden position._

            _Perfect. _

            "Deltha! This is no time to be taking a nap!"

            The President and every other awake human on the ship was staring at Deltha. Deltha moved to respond, but only a drawn-out yawn came out.

            "What?"

            Everyone just stared at him.

            "You have nothing to worry about. Alpha's the best. Samus is better. They won't fail. Just sit back and relax."

            No-one felt the assurance Deltha provided, and the Alphatech Executive was beginning to realize that he didn't feel his own assurance, either. 

            _Alpha's punctuality is usually expectable, almost right in the nick of time. This isn't like him. _

Deltha's thought was cut short by the other half of his brain contradicting him. 

            _But it is just like Samus Aran to cut things this close._

Deltha yawned again and simply looked out onto the viewscreen portraying the stormy planet Forge, its orbit clustered with capital ships.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Samus's speed had become so great from hundreds of meters of speed boosting that she no longer needed hey hyper beam at this time. Her mind was completely focused on finding a way out. Well, mostly. She was having difficulty keeping a mental note of the clock ticking away in her head, but she kept her eyes on the road ahead.

            Houston was matching pace with her, his suit was also glowing a radiant yellow light. 

            _Doesn't this hallway ever end? Not a single door, ceiling hatch or anything! _

            Indeed, after the first few barriers, Samus noticed that unlike all her other escapes from self-destructing planets and space stations, this planet was not intent on keeping her locked in. No barriers blocked her way, no space pirates got in her way. Not even the cliché-ic rumbling or quaking of a planet going meltdown. No flashing lights, no falling debris, no rupturing steam vents or lava flows. 

            _Was it three minutes? Damn, I've lost count!_

"Houston?!"

            Houston took no time to respond, he answered like a machine.

            "BOSS?!"

            Samus and her partner jetted down the hallway, without any sight of an end to the corridor. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?!"

            "TWO-FIFTY-ONE!"

            _Damn! I was close._

"'YOU KEEPING TRACK?!"

            "AFFIRMATIVE, BOSS!"

            Just then, Samus saw the grey twinkle of a blast door loom up on them. Her hyper beam was always held out in front of her for just such an obstacle. A brilliant blast of rainbow energy poured forth from her cannon, disintegrating the door milliseconds before she and Houston burst through the doorway.

            _Room change! Does Hous-_

"WE'RE COMING UP ON A MISSILE SILO!"

            Samus was incredulous. How could Houston know this? Samus couldn't bother her mental attention towards the issue, having to adjust her speed booster so the changes in elevation due to the small steps and ramps wouldn't slow her down. "AND YOU KNOW THIS HOW?!"

            Houston mimicked her movements like a shadow. "PRESENT FROM ALPHA!"

            "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS BEFORE?!"

            "NO TIME! DOOR UP AHEAD!!!"

            "I CAN SEE THAT!" They were in a large hangar, and were sprinting across its tarmac floors towards the melted blast doors. Hundreds of dormant missiles lay on rollers, unused. Some were twice the size of Samus's ship! The hangar bay doors were gigantic blast doors, more than mere personnel transit… Samus fired more of her unlimited inherited energy into the metal, turning it from solid to slag to slush in moments.  

            "SAMUS! THE CONTROL PANEL NEXT TO THE DOORWAY! CAN YOU HIT IT FROM HERE?!"

            Samus switched to her grappling beam momentarily and fired it right at the rusted display. 

            "ALREADY DONE!"

            The blast doors opened up to reveal a massive circular missile silo shaft, rivaling that of the prison cell shafts that both hunters had dropped through. 

            "I'VE ALREADY SET COUNTDOWN STATUS! THE SILO DOORS ARE ALREADY OPENING! DO YOU-"

            "YEAH! I KNOW!"

            The unspoken objective loomed ahead, and Samus and Houston blazed into the bluish glow of the missile silo shaft. Both hunters stopped dead in their tracks, crouching at a moments notice in the very center of the circular blast-armor plating of the floor. Their chozo suits flashed bright yellow, screaming with shrill blips for the use of the stored up speed energy.

            _Now._

            Samus and Houston both launched off the floor like miniature man-sized missiles towards the opening far above. Metal plating and scaffolding blurred past the two human rockets, and their speed did not decrease the slightest bit. The two hunters blasted out of the launch doors with inhuman speed.

            They were speeding upwards into the stormy but nonetheless lit up skies of the planet's surface, losing energy tanks at a dangerous rate. Samus's visor was pitched upwards like an upwards dive towards the atmosphere.

            _We're at the surface…! But how to stop?! Samus never expected the possibility that they might not hit something on the way up, for every other time she made a boosted jump she had something to stop her from continuing up._

            She tried moving out of her bullet-like position, and her limbs burned with tension as she did so. She broke out of the launch and immediately started dropping for the ground hundreds of feet below. She could not tell if Houston had done the same.

            "HOUSTON! BREAK OUT OF IT!"

            "Already above you, boss."

            The calm in Houston's voice broke the tension of their situation. Was he actually confident they would escape? Why wasn't she? Samus touched down lightly on the ground, her chozo suit absorbing all the G's of impact. It was as if she had only jumped down a small flight of stairs. Houston touched down behind her.

            "What's our time, Houston?"

            "Two-oh-two."

            "Damn. How far are we from my ship?"

            "Can't tell…. Wait. We launched from a missile silo. It's horizontal distance from the entrance is – well, I'll have to do some calculations."

            "HOUSTON!"

            "What?!"

            "GIVE ME A DIRECTION!"

            Houston pointed directly ahead of where Samus was initially facing when she touched down. She sprinted off in the general direction, towards one of many of the dozens of cavernous mountains that surrounded their position. Houston took off with the same haste.

            "Commander! Two humanoids are rapidly approaching our position!"

     "What? It must be them. 'Bout time they showed up. We've been waiting her for nearly a minute! We have how long?"

            "One minute, fifty seconds, sir. Shall I pull the ship towards their position?"

     "You might want to power up the engines first, you impudent AI. We don't have time."  

            "My name is Adam, HUMAN, and the engines were powered on the moment I saw you and your company –"

     "All right, all right, all right! Just get us closer to them and open the boarding hatch when they're in range!"

            "Already done, sir."

     "What's the point of addressing me as 'sir' if you're going to second-guess every order I make?"

            " - - - Is that a trick question, sir?"

     "Nevermind. I don't want it to be a trick question. Just shut up and get us the hell out of here!"

            "Roger that. Humanoids identified as Samus Aran and Armstrong Houston. Opening boarding doors."

     "Welcome ba-"

     "Adam! We're safely on board! Just get us as far away from this planet as possible!"

            "Oh, it's nice to see you too, Sa-"

     Everyone shouted at the AI in unison, "ADAM!"

            "Roger that. Thrusters and hyperdrive at full. Buckle your seatbelts."

     Houston glanced aside at the company in Samus's ship. A full squad of marines and two bounty hunters bearing chozo suits were all crammed into one compartment of Samus's ship. Only then did he register Adam's human phrasing.

            "Wait a sec, we don't even have seatbelts!"

            Samus was so on edge that she tried slapping Houston upside his helmet, but he dodged it.

            "ENOUGH! The both of you! This is no time to be joking around! You are officers of the Federation, so you should start acting like it!"

            Samus and Houston merely glared at Pinka, but they stayed silent.

            "Sixty seconds and counting until detonation. Do you want me to contact the Federation fleet in orbit?"

     That woke Samus up from her anxiety. "FLEET? What's been going on since I came here? There's no way Hardy would'a –"

            "Long story, Samus," Pinka replied, "Yes, Adam, open communications! Tell them to get as far away from the planet as possible!"

            "HEY! I'm acting captain of this ship! No-one tells my computer what to do but me!"

            Pinka begged to differ, but held his tongue – though he could win a shouting match with Samus, he could not win a fistfight with her armor on. He gestured to her in a submissive, 'go right ahead' sort of manner.

            "Samus, ma'am?"

     "Give the fleet the orders, and tell open a channel with the _Excalibur_, if it's still there."

            "Roger that. Opening channel."

     The viewscreen on Samus's ship was immediately filled with the image of the _Excalibur's _bridge, which was both filled with people and red warning lights. Officers were scattering to and fro across the floor, and the top officers could be easily picked out as they were trying to control the mayhem.

            "Federation flagship _Excalibur_, this is Samus Aran! I repeat, Federation flagship _Excalibur_, this is Samus Aran! We have escaped the planet's atmosphere, but the time bomb has malfunctioned! We have-"

            Samus paused. She blinked at the timer on the screen. Thirty seconds. Crap.

            "Thirty seconds to get far out of orbit! Pull all your ships out, this is not a joke!"

            No-one on the bridge seemed to hear her, but the _Excalibur_ and the hundreds of Federation ships pulled out of orbit, backed up by the thick horde of AI battleships. The fleet responded almost instantly.

            Samus's small, speedy and agile ship zoomed past all of the capital ships at top speed, and all Samus could do was turn off the channel and watch the timer tick down, hoping that they'd be far enough away from the explosion.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

 _           On the outskirts of the local system, a thick battle line made a suicide blitz for the furthest reaches of known space. The central star of the planet shone a blinding orange-red, millions of times larger than any of the planets occupying and orbit around it. The glare of the sun's rays was plastered against the metal plating of thousands of deep space ships._

            Just then, all that blinding white light was outdone by an opaque white flash. Brighter than a hundred modern-day nuclear explosions, the extreme explosion of one of the system's planets momentarily drew all attention to and from it in one dramatic event.

            The entire crew on the bridge cheered wildly as the dimmed viewscreen showed the grim aftermath of the planet Forge. Shards of flaming rock, magma, and missile-like pockets of superheated gas shot out in all directions, providing a very spectacular fireworks display for the Federation victory.

            The pandemonium spread throughout the ship, and then throughout the fleet. The only people that weren't celebrating were Deltha, Keaton, Hardy and the President. They all just sat in their seats on the bridge, mildly cheered up by the destruction of the space pirates. The confettit and champagne flew through the air in unison with officer's overexcited bodies. The quartet of Federation officers seemed not to notice the party going on around them. The sounds of victory faded to a small whisper in their ears. 

            _I fell like I'm missing something. Something still isn't right about this 'victory', thought Deltha. He was troubled greatly by Samus's premature and hasty return. _

            "Mr. President, could you open a channel with Samus's ship? I believe we no longer need to keep distance from the planet."

            The President looked up from having his head in his hands. "Deltha, I don't think that-"

            "Just do it." Deltha paused and thought of who he was speaking to. "Please, sir?"

            The President nodded silently and punched up a few buttons on his armchair controls. "You can take it up in my cabin." The President gestured to the door off to the side of the bridge. Deltha got up, shuffled his way through the party, shrugging off the occasional marine trying to dance with him, and entered the President's quarters.

            Deltha sat down in the luxurious armchair and punched up the display on the desk in front of him. Samus's red-haired visage popped up strongly placed atop a suit of purplish chozo armor. Houston's red-whiskers and beard were unmistakable in the background, as were the dozen or so marines crammed in around the two hunters. Samus's eyes held no comfort for Deltha.

            "I know what you're going to ask, Deltha. I can't help you."

            "You know I must ask."

            Samus paused. She took in a deep breath. "He didn't make it. He threw himself into the line of fire to protect me, and used his energy reserves to restore me to full power. Ridley finished him off. Alpha insisted on sacrificing himself to help me."

            Deltha nodded and hung his head low. He didn't feel like shedding tears or anything like that, and that was what bothered him. Alpha came closer than any of Deltha's creations to becoming human, and Alpha's unique life had ended in the line of duty. Alpha had fulfilled his purpose.

            Deltha struggled to find the right words, not wanting to show any weakness.

            "If it was what he wanted, then he died a happy…"

            Deltha wanted to say "MAN", but he had a feeling that perhaps Samus did not share the same feelings. Samus succeeded in surprising him.

            "He died like a human. You would have been proud, Deltha."

            Deltha nodded, somewhat relieved that his creation had somewhat rubbed off on Samus; Deltha was still bothered by the loss of his greatest friend. Samus poked at the viewscreen, making a light *thud* noise come over on the speakers.

            "HEY!"

            Deltha jolted upright. "What?"

            "It's not over yet! I got a present for you!"

            Deltha's brow furled with an even sharper curve. "Eh?"

            "It's from Alpha…" Samus taunted.

            Deltha wasn't sure what kind of joke this was, "Samus, look. This really isn't the right time to –"

            Samus held up the red ruby crystal in front of the viewscreen and Deltha stopped talking altogether. "You… you saved his data?"

            Samus smiled for the first time in twenty-four hours and nodded, still holding the glimmering jewel in her armored glove. "Yep. He put everything in it. He said something about you being able –"

            "- To restore him! Of course! Why didn't I think about that right away?"

            Deltha was immediately cheered up and color return to his face.

            "Just come on over and I'll start working on it right away! Thanks a million, Samus!" Samus just smiled and waved goodbye. Houston's voice trailed off in the background. "Hey can we get a meal on this flight? I'm starving…" Too bad, Houston's request was cut off as the viewscreen went blank.

            Deltha couldn't help but smiling and chuckling to himself with laughter.

            Maybe today's celebration had grounds from a victory after all!

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            _The fools, they thought they had me. After putting me up against a trillion Ki-Hunters, just as many Federation marines, two chozo warriors and a mechaguardian, they thought that was enough to do me in. Ha! What little do they know!_

The skies brightened from the brief shower on the mysterious and practically uninhabited planet of SR388. The stormclouds faded into blinding sunlight, and the jungle vegetation blended perfectly with the rocky tunnels of the planet's geography.

            Ridley had never been here in person, but he knew its dark secret. Few Federation civilians knew the truth about metroids, and fewer Federation scientists still knew the role of the metroid on the grand scale of things. Ridley knew that Samus, of all people, would be the hardest person to convince to return to the planet.

            _What, with all her traumatic memories of the accursed hatchling? This is the perfect hiding spot._

Ridley touched down on the mossy ground, and sniffed the air. He expected to smell the moist tissue of the rainforest around him, but he didn't. All he could smell was something burning. Ridley cursed as another one of his severe burns was scraped open by a neighboring branch. __

_            Well, maybe not right exactly here, but pretty darn close. Time to find a nice to place to settle down and regenerate._

Ridley clamped his way across the beaten jungle path towards one of the cozy-looking caves. He didn't notice in the slightest bit that the jungle had gone deathly silent, which would have seemed strange to any normal human being. The sunlight warmed Ridley's toasted scales, and he let out a relaxed sigh when his body heat slowly returned to its natural state.

            Ridley ducked his head and folded his wings to fit into the small and cramped cavern. A shrill screeching noise pierced the silence. Ridley stopped dead in his tracks.

            _No! They're all eradicated! I must be going crazy…_

Ridley paused to hear where the sound was coming from.

            Nothing. Silence. Total, eerie silence.

            Ridley continued down the claustrophobic corridor and heard the noise again, deeper in the chambers beyond.

            _I know I heard it! It can't be a metroid! Well, whatever the case, I'm NOT going in there!_

Ridley backed out and turned to see a strange and terrifying sight.

            An amorphous, slimy green blob of goo was floating a mere two inches from Ridley's face, and it let out softer shrill screeches out every few seconds, in regular intervals. Ridley eyed it quickly and carefully.

            _What the hell? What is this ugly thing? _

The blob hovered at eye level for a few moments longer, emitting its screeching noise more and more frequently.

            _Well, whatever it is, it's annoying and it's going down!_

Ridley poised to breath fire at the stupid green goop, but when Ridley opened his jaws, the slimy entity shot straight down Ridley's throat. "ACK!" Ridley was beginning to choke, and he could feel the sticky creature plaster itself to his throat's membrane.

            _WHAT… THE… HELL…! GET… THIS… THING…_

Ridley then grasped his forehead, hard. The thing had somehow gone into his brain, and his entire head was pounding, ringing like saints had come marching in. Ridley let out a final primal roar that echoed for miles around the rainforest as his pain escalated. Ridley's eyesight was going fast. 

            _I – CAN'T – THINK – WHY – GET – NO! – MUST – LOSING – SIGHT – _

Ridley's vision blacked out entirely, and the dragon lost consciousness altogether.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

  


	20. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

            Bright lights. Unfocused, fuzzy, bright objects.

            Voices. Triumphant. Cheerful. Congratulating.

            _Haven't I been through this enough times already? Or have I been programmed with memories of my previous deaths?_

_     Armor properties… existent. I have been restored._

_     Searching database for new system hardware._

- _Done. Activating primary sensors.   _

"He's powering up now. If everything's done properly, then –"

            "What do you mean, IF? You're the authority on artificially intelligent beings!"

            "Keaton, please calm down. Alpha is the best work I've ever created, and I do not work to disappoint both my patient and my audience."

            "Well… Okay. So have you been thinking any more about that contract proposal?"

            "Don't push it, master tonberry."

            "HEY! I thought I told you, not to call –"

            "You guys make a great couple, you know that?"

            "Samus?"

            Samus and Houston walked into Deltha's engineering lab. Houston was wearing a pair of fancy black slacks, severely damaged and torn white tennis shoes, and a Disneyland t-shirt that seemed far too small for him. He didn't seem to mind wearing the shirt, either. But Houston was devoting far more of his attention to Samus's garb. 

            Samus was clad in her civilian wear: an earth-made pair of denim jeans, a pair of worn hiking boots, a tight-fitting white t-shirt. Houston could swear he could see a glimpse of her tight sports bra under it. Samus could swear he was checking her out again. She gave Houston a fleeting glance only a female bounty hunter could produce. Houston quickly got the message and turned to watch the pair of arguing executives.

            "Yes, it's me. You two really oughtta go on television for a CNN Debate or something. You two always have something to fight about."

            Keaton looked at Samus like she was crazy. "What?! I'd never appear on one of those politically biased broadcasting networks!"

            Deltha laughed and shook his head. "Besides, Samus: I'm rubbing off on Keaton so much now, that he's starting to learn tolerance of other races – especially AI's."

            Samus grinned at Deltha. "Well that's news. How's it coming?"

            Deltha looked down at Alpha's body. Alpha was clad in a strikingly familiar space suit, only it glimmered a pearly white instead of its usual cream-colored fabric. "He'll be waking up any moment. As for his memories, we'll just have to find out if they're still there."

            Samus and Houston walked up to stand next to the examining table Alpha was lying his back on. The gold-visored helmet was open to the air, revealing once more the abnormal array of sensors and receptors. 

            Just then, Hardy burst into the room, boasting a severely heavy box labeled **SUBWAY across it in yellow and green letters. "WAIT!!!"**

            Before anyone could ask Hardy what was in the box, the Federation Officer stopped right between Houston and Keaton, and pulled out a five-foot-long BLT Sub for each of them. Samus's mouth was hanging wide open as she held the massive sandwich in her left hand. The unexpected visit had the same effect on the others.

            Hardy immediately started chowing down on his sub, at first unaware of the attention he was drawing to himself. 

            "Hardy," Samus managed to speak first, "What's this all about?"

            Hardy looked up and almost choked. Swallowing hard, he managed to regain his speech. "This is our victory dinner! And the christening of the newly rebuilt Alpha!"

            Everyone just stared at Hardy, who smiled innocently. 

            It was Houston's turn to respond. "Thanks, Hardy."

            "No problem at all, Armstrong!"

            Alpha immediately sat up from the table, startling everyone but Deltha.

            "ALPHA!" Everyone shouted.

            "That is my designation. Where am I?"

     "You are in my personal engineering lab in orbit around the planet Earth. It has been –"

            Alpha's turned immediately to his creator.

            "Four days, sixteen hours, five minutes, and thirty-two seconds since my last shutdown. Good morning, Deltha."

     "Welcome back, Alpha."

            "I apologize for leaving."

     "Not at all, my dear boy! You made the decision that could be eventually undone."

            "I have no memory of the details before my shutdown, Deltha. I apologize."

     Deltha sighed deeply, feeling the letdown in the hearts of everyone in the room.

            Samus hung her head a little, and Houston patted her on the shoulder.

            Alpha then turned to look at Samus. "I calculate from your behavior that you knew me before I shutdown. Is that correct?"

     Samus looked up, smiling again at the supercomputer. "Yes… We knew each other. It was only for a short while, but we knew each other."

            "I should introduce myself. I am –"

     Samus interrupted his monologue. "Alpha. We know already."

            "I apologize. And who might I have the pleasure of meeting once more?"

     "My name is Samus Aran, and this is my partner, Armstrong Houston."

            Alpha extended his armored glove out to shake Samus's and Houston's hands as he spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Samus Aran and Houston Armstrong."

     Alpha then turned to Deltha, ignoring Keaton and Hardy. 

            "Deltha, I have a question."

     "But of course you do, Alpha! You have a very unique job, now!"

            "I have no current duty assigned to me. What is my current duty?"

     Deltha glanced at Samus, and his smile faded when her face had the hope of friendship on it. Deltha then looked directly at Alpha as he spoke.

            "Your duty is to protect Earth from any outside invaders."

            "I see. What resources will I have at my disposal?"

     "Any or all that are necessary. For starters, you will have command of the unmanned fleet that is currently in orbit around the planet."

            "I see. That is why I have fleet tactics and macrominded communications programmed into me?"

     "That's right, Alpha. But I have also given you a CPU that can learn at ten times the rate of your former self. You may need it to make quick decisions in the deep space strategy."

            Samus couldn't believe her ears. Alpha was not being freed from his duties after a hard days' work. Instead, he was merely being promoted to a busier position.

            "I thank you, Deltha. When can I begin familiarizing myself with the fleet."

     "You can start right away, if you like."

            "Very well. I will take a shuttle to the flagship at once. Is there anything you require, Deltha?"

     "No, thank you. You may leave and move around at will, Alpha."

            At that, Alpha jumped down from the examining table and took a single look as he lowered his gold visor. Alpha and Samus both hesitated.

            Alpha slowly lifted his right arm up to his helmet, and slowly raised his visor back up, and held it at the most open point with his hand. It was the most literal way Alpha could salute Samus. Samus let out a small, suppressed internal sob, and returned to salute with equal calmness. Houston followed suit. Hardy mimicked the two hunters fervently. Keaton refused to for the longest time, but sheepishly raised his green-tinted hand up to his forehead as well.

            Samus returned her hand to her side as abruptly as a military official would have, and Alpha mimicked her actions, sealing his golden visor shut. Everyone else dropped their arms at their sides.

            With that, Alpha briskly walked out of the lab, leaving everyone else in reflective silence.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "I thank you for the job offer, Deltha, but I think my promotion at the Galactic Federation will be more worth it. Being a Commander in charge of an exploration detachment sounds like it could be fun again."

            Deltha shook Houston's armored gloves, hard. "If you need anything, just drop me a line." The bluish chozo warrior released his hand from the handshake, and then turned to Hardy. The docking bay was filled with marines and Federation officials, all standing deathly still for the farewell ceremony.

            Hardy shook Houston's hand as well, and whispered a few words to the former bounty hunter as Houston leaned in to listen. No-one else heard what was spoken between the two. Houston let go the grip, and saluted Keaton, who saluted back as he beamed with pride. 

            The ceremony was silent. No farewell music, no trumpets or bugles, no drums and no voices. Only the faint buzz of the lighting fixtures in the ceiling could be heard. 

            Houston then turned to look Samus in her helmet.

            Houston and Samus both turned their visors completely transparent, and they both took a long hard look at each other's faces. Nothing was said, and nobody moved for nearly two minutes. 

            Breaking the silence, the two shook hands, hard. Houston tried pulling Samus closer for a hug, but he found himself being pulled by an equal and opposite force. Their suits collided silently, and Samus clicked off both his and her helmets. 

            _Oh my gosh! She's really gonna do it! I've gotta be the luckiest –_

Samus hugged Houston for a whole two seconds, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Houston was dazed. "I can't find any words."

            Houston woke up in time to provide a timely response.

            "None need to be said, Samus… We understand each other."

            "Maybe, when we –"

            "When we get around to retirement, we'll see each other again."

            "Yeah."

            "Yeah."

            Silence. The two hunters broke the embrace and secured their helmets again. Their hands were at their sides.

            "Well, goodbye."

            "Goodbye, Samus."

            Houston turned and walked up the ramp into the big armored shuttle transport, followed by a regiment of space marines that were filing in from their formations in the docking bay.

            Samus shouted out to him before he popped out of sight, "DON'T GET YOURSELF KILLED!"

            Houston's cheery voice rang with equal vigor, "SPEAK FOR YOURSELF!! FAREWELL, SAMUS!!"

            As soon as the last marine boarded the shuttle, the whole landing craft closed its ramp, lifted off without another farewell and powered up its engines. Samus, Hardy, Keaton, and Deltha turned and proceeded to walk back through the blast doors of the observation deck.

            As soon as the doors closed behind them, the shuttle fired up all of its ten gigantic rocket engines and blasted through the force field threshold of the docking bay. Samus watched the blue space shuttle grow smaller and smaller in the distance, until it eventually became the size and brightness of another star in the sky.

            _Goodbye._


End file.
